Stained Glass
by Gippal the Pimp
Summary: Sora, the son of the angel Gabriel has fought demons, dealt with frightening evil brooms, and even stood his best friend Riku's odd love of humans for many years, but now he faces his biggest challenge ... a human high school? Ew! Complete?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"No! Humans are filthy!"

"Aw, come on, Sora! _Some_ of them are pretty cute!"

"You two are both stupid..."

Sora and Riku both shot glares at their friend Kaz.

"I'm not stupid!" Sora protested. "Riku's the one who thinks humans are... _cute._"

Sora shivered at the thought of a cute human being. It just wasn't possible. Angels were almost perfect beings, and there would never be a human that could surpass their beauty.

"Sora, you're just too... _obsessed _to recognize beauty in any person other than Namìne," Riku spat. He turned and stomped away from the table they had been sitting at.

Kaz bit his lip. Riku had always been touchy about Namìne. For some reason, he thought she was going to steal Sora away, that they wouldn't be friends anymore. Kaz knew he was wrong. But, then... Sora _was _hanging out with Namìne a lot... Not that Kaz really minded. Namìne was his sister, so he saw Sora enough anyways.

"Sora," Kaz sighed, "Just because Riku... Enjoys looking at humans doesn't mean he plans to... Go to the human world or anything. You know that, right? We'll always be here for each other..."

Sora groaned.

"Yeah, I don't know, Kaz. Not with Riku always acting this way..." Kaz nodded, thinking Sora was referring to the way Riku had stomped off like that; it wasn't the first time in the last week. His agreement instantly disappeared as Sora continued speaking. "Seriously, if he keeps talking about humans that way, I'm never going near him again."

Kaz stared, dumbfounded, as Sora pushed his chair away and moved to the door of the Grand Library. He shoved the doors opened and left. Kaz sighed and picked up a nearby book. There were many, seeing as the library was absolutely gigantic.

He opened to a random page, ascertaining quickly that the book was one of legendary magic. He pursed his lips- if he flipped to the _dangerous_ section, he would probably find himself and his two best friends in here. He shrugged it off, checking the index quickly.

Light prophecies and legends at the beginnings... darker ones at the back. He stuck loyally to the first half of the book, turning the pages boredly, pausing when something caught his eye.

_Light Shields_. "Supposedly the most powerful magic spell ever to be casted..." the text read. "Requires immense power, focus and raw talent, but also enough emotion to stabilize..." He already knew all this. A light shield hadn't been casted in over thousands of years- if they really existed. They warded off true, unchanged darkness, and only a massively powerful person could cast one. There were hundreds of angels who'd tried- one within the last fifty years who might have succeeded. Everyone thought he was the strongest angel to be born in over a millenia.

But he'd ended up failing, as did everyone else. Kaz flipped another page, raising his eyebrow when he sensed Riku had returned. His friend didn't say anything, only sat quietly next to him, probably wondering where Sora had wandered off to.

_"Coercing Charms," _Kaz read aloud. "_The ability to move a person's mindset within your favour. Noted particularly for the ease with which dark_..." He stopped reading. "But you've already heard that one."

Riku scoffed. "Dude I can do that. I should try that. You think I could make Sora...?"

"Don't even try using magic on him, Riku." Kaz cringed. "You know what usually happens."

He turned another page. "The Gateway of Hearts... and the Gateway of... Hey I've never heard of this one."

Riku looked over curiously. "Hmm?"

Kaz began to scan the page but just as he did, a hand slammed the book shut. He looked up to see his older brother standing there, flashing one of his beautiful smiles. Kaz glanced around- sure enough, all girls and women in the library (and scarily, many men) were staring with open mouths. Why did he have to be the one with a brother who was possibly the most beautiful angel born in a thousand years?

"Uh uh!" Kaythe told him grinning, wagging his fingers. He leaned in and said, "I believe this is one of those forbidden texts. You know, you two... and Sora.. aren't supposed to read it." Then he moved even closer and whispered, "I've got a copy at home you can look at."

_

* * *

_

"It's Sora's problem; not mine! Humans look exactly like us, aside from the absence of wings!"

"I know, Riku, I know," Kaz sighed. "But come on, just don't talk about humans around him– It makes him uncomfortable..."

"It doesn't matter to me," Riku spat.

"It does if you still want Sora to be your friend!" Kaz insisted.

Riku turned.

"No, it doesn't! It's just some stupid thing that Sora needs to get over sooner or later! It is not, in any way, actually going to harm our friendship!"

"Sora seems to think it will."

Riku sighed, rolling his eyes and insisted that Sora would get over it.

"Besides... He's never met a human or anything, so I don-"

"Exactly. He's scared of the unknown."

Kaz meant it in all seriousness. He was trying to convince Riku to quit mentioning humans around Sora, and had been for the past half hour.

Riku didn't take it in the serious manner he was supposed to, however.

"Probably. Sora's scared of almost everything."

Riku burst into laughter and quickly brought up a favourite childhood story of his, involving what Sora called a 'mean broom' which had pretended to be a giant scythe about to fall on him. He really had been quite frightened. And, despite how dark Sora claimed it was, how obscured his vision had been, it was only a broom.

"Riku... Could you _please_ be a _little _serious about this?"

Riku stopped laughing and looked skeptically at Kaz.

"No."

Riku burst once again into laughter, leaving Kaz completely unable to get a word in edgewise.

* * *

"Humans aren't really so bad you know, Sora."

Sora stared dumbfounded at his father, who was trying to convince him that Riku was right. He looked over at his little sister, Yuna, who simply shrugged. Sora, Yuna, and their father Gabriel (it's an angel name, at least...) Were the only members of their family, as far as Sora knew. He'd never met his mother, and there were no pictures of her, nor did their father ever speak of her.

"What do you mean 'not so bad'? Humans are horrid! They litter, and they dress provocatively, and they're always off getting drunk, an-"

"Not all humans."

"Not all, but most... Besides, how would you know? Have you ever even _met _a human?"

"Yes."

Yuna let out a tiny squeak.

"Really?" she asked. "Who?"

Gabriel went rigid and gave both Yuna and Sora odd looks. Sora could tell he was trying to make up his mind about something. After a short while, he spoke. What he said would change their lives drastically.

"Your mother was a human."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The first thing that registered in Sora's mind was the water that Yuna spit everywhere. The second was, '...the fuck?'

Yuna sat beside him, with water all over the table in front of her, even more quiet than usual. Her eyes were opened wide and she looked as if she'd just seen a ghost. Although Sora bet she would have actually preferred that.

After a very long, uncomfortable silence, Sora was finally able to gather his thoughts and speak.

"Excuse me..."

He stood up and left the dining room of the giant manor he lived in with his father and sister. His first reaction was to go the Grand Library where he often spent time with his friends, but thought differently of that idea when he was resting his hand on the doorknob.

Riku would probably be at the Library. He could always tell when Sora was upset. Or lying. Kaz could, too. How could he explain this to them?

Sighing, Sora spun on his heel. He couldn't go to the Grand Library, which was, as its name implied, grand and very, very large. He could go to _a _library, though not nearly as big.

His family's manor was so overly large that it had its own library. So he raced down the halls and pushed open the double doors of the library, letting himself in.

He didn't actually want to read. He just found being surrounded by the maze of shelves and cascades of books somewhat comforting.

Letting out a groan, Sora lowered himself into a chair. The books all around him, though they were filled with words, spoke not a word, and he quickly found himself engulfed in the silence of the library.

Sora's heart pounded loudly in his ears as he remembered his father's words. 'Your mother...' How? He felt so... betrayed. Like he could never trust his father again. Sora was left completely alone with his thoughts and anger. The loneliness he felt began to get bigger until it left him drenched in fear.

He sat with his hands in his head, afraid that if he moved, his now-fragile, taken-for-granted existence would shatter.

Smack!

"Sora!"

Sora jumped and looked up as the double doors thwacked against the walls wen Yuna pushed them open, rushing into the room.

"Yun-" Sora let out a strangled choke, but Yuna cut him off.

"Oh my God, Sora! What are we gonna do!" she shrieked. "Our mother's a HUMAN!"

"Well, for one thing," Sora muttered, "We're not gonna tell anybody. She's only one parent anyway... Who cares?"

"There's more to it than that," Yuna said fidgeting. "If our mother's a human, that means..." She wrung her skirt in her hands, "That means... WE'RE half-humans!"

Sora blinked. He hadn't thought of it that way.

"...Ew."

"Yes," Yuna agreed, "Ew."

Sora sighed and sank further into his chair. He and Yuna were quiet for several minutes until she said something that shook Sora to the core.

"I want to meet her."

"P-pardon?"

Oh, no. No, no, no.

"I want to meet her," Yuna repeated.

"I... I don't think that's a good idea," Sora breathed.

"Oh, please, Sora! I've always wanted to meet our mother! Now we have a chance! Father wouldn't go with us, of course... PLEASE!"

Sora wearily looked up into his sister's pleading eyes. Of course she wanted to meet their mother. Sora, being a boy, had never majorly missed their mother's presence. Yuna certainly had, though. She'd grown up without any sort of motherly figure. In all truth, she deserved to meet her.

"Fine... I guess. You tell Father, though."

"Oh, thank you!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck.

The next thing he knew, she'd run from the room in desperate search of their father.

Sora didn't move from his seat, watching as Yuna rushed away, behind her floating a single, white feather.

* * *

As if it wasn't shock enough that he had a human for a mother...

Now they were going to live with her. Not just visit; live. As in, for months. He told Kaz and Riku everything. And then spent 47 minutes begging his father to let them go with him. Eventually, his father gave in and Riku and Kaz were allowed to go.

Yuna was overjoyed. Riku was overly excited. Kaz was really only going along to be with his friends. Sora was terrified.

And their mother? Completely ignorant. She had no idea they were coming yet.

All Sora really knew about her was that her name was Sierra. That was all. Looking up at the stars that night, after packing, getting ready (using magic. He was too lazy to actually walk to his dresser) he had a foreboding sense that all would not be well.

'_You're in for one hell of a ride,'_ he told himself.

* * *

"I have plenty of books on that particular legend, actually..." Kay began, gesturing to a shelf on the other side of his room and then drifting over to stand there.

"Why? Why could you possibly want so much information on _one_ story?" Kaz asked, scanning the titles... There it was. A copy of the book he'd been reading in the library.

"Because I'm interested in it. I don't actually understand why you guys aren't supposed to see it. It doesn't really have anything to do with you. Well, it does. It has to do with people who are connected to you... It would probably be easiest for you guys to finish up, since those gems are required..." Kay wrinkled his brow up and then smiled. "Theoretically."

"Right. So..." Kaz waited, wondering what Kay was getting at.

"You would probably find it quite boring actually," his brother told him suddenly. "I'll tell you a much shortened version... You know what the Princesses of Heart are."

"They have pure hearts."

"Yes... supposedly there are others."

"Other princesses?"

"No, Kaz! Others with pure hearts who don't have that extra something to make them one of the seven." Kay cleared his throat. "I think our sister... Well, anyways, to make a long story short; if you kidnaped one of these people- not a princess of heart, but someone with a pure heart- and brought them to this gate, bringing with you also four people- not you guys, just four people... and the gems, you could open a portal of unchanged darkness. Blah blah blah a hideous monster gets released in the process and eats the pure heart and then it will grant you ultimate cosmic power or some such nonsense. You could... destroy the world. Or make a new one... You could do little things, too; make someone love you. You could cure cancer. But, chances are, if you go to all the trouble of opening this gate, finding the right four people, stealing the gems... you're probably after something more serious. This gate not to be confused with the other one. The one... Have you ever heard the full story?"

"Of what?"

"Well of your great destiny, _of course_."

"I've heard what's probably an immensely edited version."

"...And I would love to tell you the rest, but I would get in heaps of trouble."

Kaz frowned. Sometimes Kay was extremely helpful. Other times-

"I'll miss you.'

Kaz blinked in shock. "And I'll miss you."

"Have you spoken to Roxas?"

"No. I don't think I can."

"Well, you'll have to anyways. He'll hunt you down if you try to leave without saying goodbye. Especially since you're leaving with Sora... Have you ever found it ironic that they hate each other so? They're quite a bit alike, I find."

"Kay."

"Yes?"

"Do you _ever_ stop talking?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Seph, honestly. Shut up."

"Dearest little brother, thou art so... Um. Would I say spiteful or spitefuleth?"

"Spiteful. But probably they would say something like 'burdened by the monster of human oppression that is spite.'"

"I do quite like that line," Sephiroth mused, eyeing Riku with one hand rubbing his chin. Sephiroth sighed, turned, and wiggled his wing in Riku's direction.

"For the love of all that is-! I do not, and will never, understand this world... _I'm _the strange one because of my wings, and you are the exalted one because... At least I have two."

Sephiroth grinned. "Ah, but somewhere out there is another with only one, and together..."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. I still think you're even more messed up than me."

The room feel silent. "I suppose I'll miss you," Sephiroth said finally, and Riku looked up with surprised eyes. "A little. But not much."

He glanced down at the ground, and then out the window at the home he'd known since he was born.

"I suppose so."

* * *

Sora let out the breath he'd been holding in. He reached forward to push the button. Almost instantaneously, he lost the slight courage he'd had, and turned to walk off the doorstep. As he did, Kaz grabbed his arms and pulled him back to the door.

"Uh, no, Sora. We're already here. You can't chicken out now," Riku said.

Sora bit his lip but made no move to turn and ring the doorbell. They were at his mother's house, and he was pretty sure she still had no clue they were coming. All the legal stuff was taken care of. Angels are very intelligent creatures. A friend of theirs had somehow tapped into government files and registered Sora's mother as the legal guardian for each of them.

It was really cool. Sora figured they could probably get access to nuclear weapons if they wanted. Which he did. But he didn't want to live with their mother.

"You wuss!"

Yuna pushed past the three boys and rang the doorbell. Within moments a young woman who looked to be in her early thirties answered the door. Sora was watching out of the corner of his eye when she asked Yuna who they were. Sora groaned. They must have looked like idiots. Sora had his back turned to the woman and was only there because Riku and Kaz both had a firm grasp on his arms.

"Um..." Yuna said quietly, "Your... Sierra Strife... Right?"

"Yes," the woman said.

Sora felt himself go rigid. Slowly, he turned around to look at her. When she saw his face, she went completely pale and fainted.

"Ah!" Yuna squeaked.

Riku and Kaz both stooped down and brought her inside the house. They laid her down on a sofa and Yuna ran about the house trying to find a kitchen. Sora sank down into an armchair right in beside the couch and stared at his mother's face.

A few minutes later, Yuna came in with a wet washcloth. She placed it on their mother's head and she woke up.

"What...?"

Sitting up, she looked around the faces in the room and once again into Sora's.

After a long (only a few seconds, really, but to Sora it was like hours) silence the woman reached out and grabbed Sora by the cheeks. (It hurt.)

"Sora? I..." She turned to look at Yuna. "You must be Yuna... But... Who are you two?" she asked Kaz and Riku.

"Just friends."

"How did you know it was Sora?" Yuna asked. Sora decided Yuna was probably upset that their mother had recognized him and not her.

"Oh, well, he looks just like Ryo..."

"...Who?" Now Sora was confused.

"Your brother!" Sierra replied.

"You mean I have more than _one_!" Yuna asked. She sounded frustrated. Although Sora was pretty sure he wasn't _that_ bad.

"Well, yes... Cloud and Ryo and you two... Four children."

Sora frowned. This was too confusing for him. Two brothers other than himself. He looked like one... But there didn't seem to be any children around.

"And where are they?"

"Oh, well, they're away at school."

Sora blinked.

_School. Oh, shit. Probably where we're all headed next. _

He sighed. They would have to tell her that they were staying for... awhile. Overwhelmingly uncomfortable, Sora opened his mouth and began to explain things, hoping not to upset his newly found mother...

* * *

Sora groaned in frustration as he tried to make his duffel bag fit into the overhead compartment above his seat. Kaz laughed as the contents of his bag spilled onto Sora's head.

"Maybe you should have zippered it..." he chuckled.

Sora shot Kaz a glare and forced everything into the compartment, snapping it shut before anything could fall out. He sat down next to Kaz quietly, upset over everything. Not getting the window seat, his duffel bag, where they were going, _everything._

Across the aisle, Yuna buzzed excitedly, talking about how _'totally happy' _she was. Riku seemed to agree. They had explained everything to Sierra when they had first met her a few days ago, and now they were being sent to school. Like, a human school. The same one their other siblings went to.

"This is gonna suck," Sora muttered.

"It won't be _that_ bad," Kaz said. "Riku and Yuna seem to be... content."

Kaz looked across the aisle at Yuna and Riku, as did Sora.

"They're stupid, though."

Kaz nodded.

"I don't care," he said, sinking down into his seat. "We'll get to, uh... Wherever we're going in a few hours. You know this is first time I've been on an airplane."

Sora rolled his eyes. "No, duh."

Kaz flashed him a smile and looked out the window, just as the plane picked up off the ground. Sora settled into his seat and prepared for what was to come.

A stupid, _human, _private, boarding school.

As if school back in his own home wasn't bad enough. Kaz, Riku and Sora had never been able to fit in- they weren't normal even as far as angels went.

Sora stretched uncomfortably, hating the feeling of having no wings- magically altered to be hidden... and unusable.

Sora bit his lip, wishing briefly he'd been born that way. If no one could see his wings they never would have noticed-

But then he would never have become friends with Kaz and Riku. Well, probably not.

_It doesn't matter_, he told himself. _This is how things are_. _Deal with it_.

For as long as he could, Sora would do just that... he only wondered how much patience he had in him still.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ryo Strife fidgeted uncomfortably where he stood next to his older brother, Cloud. Their mother had called and told them that their _other _siblings would be coming to school with them, along with some friends of their brother Sora. Ryo hadn't even known they had other siblings up until then. His mother had warned him not to be shocked when he met Sora, which confused him. Why would he be shocked? He'd already had his surprise.

Ryo scowled at the long driveway in front of him. Their mother had said that Sora, Yuna, Riku, and Kaz (Ryo thought that was a really weird name- Kaz...) would come straight to the front steps of their school, Arkham Academy, 10 minutes ago. Ryo sighed and dropped down to sit on the steps behind him.

"They're late."

"Good," Cloud replied. "Let's hope they don't come at all."

Ryo smiled. He understood how Cloud felt. It was odd, meeting someone who should be so close to you for the first time. It would probably be very awkward when they got there. He remembered his mother's voice over the phone, breezy and quiet- "They're more perfect than I even remember... I suppose all mothers feel that way. I've always wanted to tell you about them. I wonder why he changed his mind about... Hm? I didn't tell you because... Well, I was lucky enough to be allowed to keep you and Cloud, I didn't want to push things. Oh, they've stayed with me for a week or so; it was wonderful being able to..."

Get to know them. Of course. But she wanted even more for Ryo and Cloud to get to know them, without interfering with their education. _"And Yuna is so excited to find out she has more than one brother! Though I feel she wishes she had a sister, too... She says she hopes you'll both be 'more fun' than Sora... I'm trying to picture Cloud as fun. Can you see it?"_

How there mother could make a joke as something as life-altering as this, Ryo didn't know.

Ryo closed his eyes and was surprised when he heard himself laugh; Cloud flopped unceremoniously down on the steps next to him, much different from his usual tense behaviour. He turned to face his older brother. Cloud was staring out at the drive before them, lost in one of his think moments, it seemed. Cloud did that sometimes- space out, not talk to anyone. He always seemed really far away at those times.

Ryo watched the gates of the school, hoping they would show up so it could all be done with. He hung his head and the air all around was silent.

But then there was a noise. Ryo's head snapped upwards and he watched, holding his breath as a sleek black car drew closer. It stopped in front of them and a young girl hopped out quickly. She bounced over to them and leanedin_ extremely_ close to Ryo's face.

"Wow," she breathed. "You _do_ look alike."

"Um... Who?" Ryo asked.

"Well, you and Sora!" she laughed.

"Uh... Yeah," Ryo laughed nervously.

He stood up and shook hands with the girl.

"You're Yuna, huh?" Cloud asked, also standing up.

"Yep!" she shouted enthusiastically. "And you're Ryo-" She nodded to Ryo, then Cloud. "-And you're Cloud."

Ryo smiled just as a boy with silver- Ryo decided it was dyed- hair came over to them.

"And this is Riku..." Yuna said.

Ryo and Cloud introduced themselves to Riku, and Ryo began to feel his nervousness disappear. These were nice people. Nothing to worry about.

"Yeah, I'm soo sure your dad would appreciate that!" Ryo heard someone laughing.

He looked over at the car and saw a young blonde laughing as he took some luggage from the hands of another person. Ryo couldn't see the other person because first the luggage had been in their face and when they gave it to the blonde, they bent over to grab more stuff from the trunk. The blonde boy came over to them, leaving the other person at the car and introduced himself.

"I'm Kaz."

Ryo bit his lip, but could help saying, "That's a weird name..."

"Um... Yeah," Kaz laughed. "My parents are... uh... Different. Kinda weird themselves."

Ryo looked back over to the car and instantly his eyes widened. The person who had been getting the luggage, whom Ryo could easily pin as Sora, had straightened up and was closing the trunk. The really did look alike. Same height, same messy brown hair, same jaw line... The only thing Ryo couldn't tell was the eye colour. That was probably because of the sunglasses Sora was wearing, though. Sora breezily took his sunglasses off and smiled at the group.

Had it been within human limitations, Ryo's jaw would've hit the ground. They didn't just look _alike. _They looked _exactly _alike. _Exactly._

It occurred to Ryo, however, that people don't just _look alike._ Not to this extent, at least. Not even if their brothers, unless...

"When Sora's birthday?" he asked.

"January 11th," all three of the people standing before him said at the same time.

Same as Ryo's. _How coincidental,_ he thought. That certainly explained why his mother said not to be surprised- and why she'd _casually forgotten_ to mention that Ryo had a twin.

Wonderful.

Sora walked up to the group, big smile plastered on his face and introductions went all around. The new arrivals picked up their luggage, and headed inside. Sora was obviously not a stupid person- Ryo could tell by the way he carried himself, the way he spoke, and laughed at intelligent jokes. So Ryo could easily tell that Sora knew they were not just brothers. However, Sora didn't seem to be affected by this at all. He laughed, talked, spoke, and Ryo began to feel very jealous of the obvious comfort which he did it with.

Cloud and Yuna split off from the rest of the group after awhile to go find Selphie. Yuna would be sharing a room with her. So, Ryo was left alone with Riku, Kaz, and of course, Sora. He was growing more uncomfortable by the second.

Eventually, they came to the dorm that Sora, Riku and Kaz would be sharing with a boy named Kerrak. Every room fit four people and because of the odd number of boys, Kerrak had ended up alone. Personally, Ryo thought it was better that way. Ryo'd liked Kerrak- once upon a time. The kid was funny and likable- when he was in a good mood. Which he was most often not. So it suited that his bad moods couldn't rub off on other people, since other people were never around him.

"Hey," he said before the three boys went into their room, "Sorry you had to end up with the Grump."

Then he flashed them a smile, turned and ran off down the hall. He yanked open the door to his dorm, rushed inside slamming it behind him and collapsed on his bed.

"I take it everything went well?" he heard someone laugh across the room.

"Shut up, Shuyin," Ryo grumbled at his best friend and roommate and rolled over.

* * *

"Well, Sora," Riku said as they entered their room, "You managed to get through that without freaking out, crying or any of the other stuff you _usually _do."

Sora glared at Riku and opened his mouth to spit out a comeback, but Kaz cut him off.

"Actually, he's right... You really seemed... Not... Nervous, I guess."

Sora sighed and fell onto the nearest chair.

"Wasn't though," he said. "Er... was. I wasn't... not nervous."

Riku laughed.

"We can tell."

Suddenly, a door opened on the other side of the room and a boy with bright green eyes and shaggy black hair walked out, glaring at them.

"He must be our new roommate," Kaz muttered.

Sora looked up.

"You mean the Gr-"

Riku stomped on Sora's foot before he could finish saying the word 'Grump' as Ryo had called this boy.

The boy walked over to them and looked at both Riku and Kaz angrily. He looked at Sora and glared.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he demanded.

Sora didn't know what he meant.

"Um... Kerrak?" Kaz asked nervously.

"Yeah."

The reply came in little more than a grunt but they were able to comprehend it. Riku and Kaz, both looking at Kerrak were too afraid to say anything bold.

Kerrak was still glaring at Sora.

"What?" Sora asked.

Then he understood.

"Oh, I'm Sora. Ryo's brother. Not... Ryo."

He nodded a few times and Kerrak seemed to relax a tiny bit but he was still cross, and it was extremely obvious.

"Hmph. Fine. So. I'm supposed to give you these." He handed them each a slip of paper. "Choose your classes, and take them down to the office."

His words were cool and informative, and as Sora looked down at the list of choices, it wasn't just the prospect of having mandatory _Math_– Double periods each day, and _Gym_ that was upsetting him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sora walked slowly down the hall, trying to prolong what was to come next.

"Hey, Sora. You know walking slow isn't gonna stop whatever your worried about happening from happening," Riku chirped behind him. "And, if you don't mind me asking, what _are _you worried about?"

Sora glared at Riku, now standing next to him.

"I'm trying to prolong my death," he said coldly.

"Yeah," Kerrak yawned behind him. "We all do that sometimes..."

Sora blinked and turned his head to look over at Kerrak. The boy had been interesting the night before with all his bipolar-ism and mood swings, but Sora, Riku and Kaz had quickly discovered he was even _more_ interesting in the morning, just after waking up.

"Um... Yeah," Kaz agreed slowly.

"Yep!"

The four boys were quiet for a moment.

"What class do you have first?" Riku asked suddenly. They had just stopped at the office to pick up their schedules.

"Um..." Sora looked down at his.

He didn't know how to read it. Well, he did. But he was too disoriented about the whole... human school thing to actually try to read it, which really wouldn't have been so strenuous.

"I have" -Kaz wrinkled up his nose- "_Biology._ Why did I sign up for that?"

Kerrak shrugged. "I have it, too. Come on."

Flashing Sora and Riku a smile, Kaz and Kerrak headed of down the hall for their Biology class.

"What do you have?" Sora asked Riku. He really hoped it was the same class as himself. Didn't want to go alone.

Sora looked at his schedule and back up to Riku, who was looking at his.

"Ew. Chemistry."

Sora's heart leaped.

"Me too," he sighed in relief.

"Okay..." Riku said slowly. "Now just to figure out which way to go for that class." He crinkled his brow and sighed. "This is gonna be one _long _day, Sora..."

Sora opened his mouth to reply but his words were cut short by a gasp as he saw someone at the other end of the hall. "...Idea!" he shouted suddenly.

Riku blinked. "Huh?"

Sora smiled and moved quickly down the hall, trying to get to a young boy standing at the other end before he left. He got there just in time, grabbing the brunette by the wrist just as he rounded the corner. He turned around quickly and gave Sora a confused look.

"Ryo!" he gasped. "We need your help."

Sora's brother, whom had only ever spoken a little less than 30 words to him, raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? In what?" he asked, his voice monotone.

"Um... In finding the Chemistry lab, actually," Sora admitted. It was, now that he thought of it, a rather stupid thing to need help for.

"You have Chemistry next?" Ryo asked.

Sora nodded, confused. The expression on Ryo's face was a slightly amused one, probably because Riku and Sora had gotten lost already but what upset him was that the expression had been preceded by a series of others...

"Come with me," Ryo said, a smile slowly forming on his face. "I have that, too."

And so it was that Sora and Riku went with Ryo to Chemistry class, sitting next to him, and, above all, not paying attention to the class. Riku because he was talking to the girl next to him the whole class, one who appeared to be a friend of Ryo's. This disheartened Sora incredibly, because, of course, it meant Ryo joined in the conversation with the two.

Riku was already closer to Sora's twin than he was.

And probably always would be, Sora knew; because the expressions that Ryo had worn, before his face had given way to amusement, though only brief flickers in his eyes, had been clear to Sora, and ones he recognized easily:

Unhappiness, exasperation, and a cold, cold glimmer of hate.

At that moment, Sora was sure more so than he ever had been, that they should not have come. They would have been better off never meeting their mother.

Or siblings.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ryo had heard nothing during the entire chemistry class. He had been talking to Riku and Selphie the entire time. He wasn't too strong-headed, however, to admit that the conversation had not been what had drained his attention from the rambling teacher. He had absolutely no idea how many times his eyes had flicked over to his twin brother sitting slumped in the desk beside him with his cheek resting on his propped arms. The amount of times he had found himself looking over, though, was not normal except for stalkers.

Ryo sighed and crossed his arms uncomfortably with his books in them as he walked down the hall next to Sora, Riku and Selphie had both had the same class, Entrepreneur, so he and Sora were walking alone. Awkwardly. Silently. Ryo furrowed his brow trying to think of something to say. He desperately wished that Riku or Kaz were here. Not that he knew either of them very well. It was just that Sora seemed... Upset. He couldn't be sure because he didn't really know Sora so well, either. Being Sora's best friends, Ryo knew one of the two boys would have been able to determine whether Sora was upset. He almost felt he could himself, though. It was weird... Like some sixth sense, telling him how Sora was feeling. Almost like magic... Ryo thought, but quickly brushed the stupid idea away.

"So," Ryo drawled, searching his mind for words. "You need help getting to your next class as well?"

As soon as the sentence left his mouth Ryo wanted to take it back. Somehow, his mouth had betrayed him and let a great amount of sarcasm and cynicism into the words. Despite the fact that Ryo wasn't too particualrly fond of his brother whom he'd not even managed a civil exchange with yet, the look on another person's face had never made Ryo feel as guilty as he did then.

"Oh... No," Sora rushed. "It... It's okay. I won't bother you with that, anymore."

"Actually... It's really oka-"

"No, no. I can find it on my own."

Ryo stood with his foot bouncing on the ground for a moment, trying to determine how he could redeem himself.

"Ah... well, at least tell me what class you have next... It might be on the way to my own."

Sora looked at him for a moment. The look was filled with absolute confusion. And very clear distrust. Hesitantly, Sora pulled his schedule from his pile of books and looked down at it. Ryo almost laughed to see the look that came across Sora's face.

"Why did I sign up for that...?" he heard his twin mutter. Sora looked up. "Argh. Mechanics."

Ryo felt his heart drop. Things were awkward enough between him and Sora. Now they would have to sit through an entire class together. Probably silent. Or worse. Ryo could end up saying something utterly stupid and mean again. Despite himself, he smiled at Sora.

"Great. I have that, too. Come on."

* * *

Kaz breathed deeply as soon as he stepped out of the Biology classroom. Behind him, he heard a confused Kerrak saying, "Um... The classroom doesn't really smell bad, you know..."

"No," Kaz spat, "But the class does. That was THE most boring thing I have ever sat through. Seriously."

Beside him he heard an all too familiar giggle.

"Am I in for a boring class? Or maybe the younger grades are more exciting." Kaz scowled over at the girl standing next to him.

"You're in for a boring class," he said in a fake, snooty accent.

She laughed. "I'll remember that when I go in there."

Despite her being his friend's sister, he laughed. She really was nice.

"You'd better, Yuna."

He winked at her and walked down the hall with Kerrak. The boy next to him was slient, so Kaz explained, "She's Sora's little sister."

"Oh... So... What boring class are you doomed to go through next?"

Kaz grinned as he looked down at his schedule. He couldn't believe the opinions of the people in this school. How they could possibly say Kerrak was a grouch, he didn't get at all. The guy was weird sometimes, certainly. But not a grouch.

"Hmm. Not bad," he said upon seeing his next class. "Mechanics."

"Cool. I have that next." Kerrak was quiet for a moment bu then he groaned loudly, slumped over and Kaz noticed his feet begin to shuffle, rather than walk normally. "Sora's brother... Ryo has that class now, too."

"And this is so bad... Why?"

"Ryo... He's okay. But he's... How can I say this? ...Not okay at the same time, you know? Like, I guess he's a nice guy, I just don't like him"

"Oh... Well, maybe... You just need to give him..."

"Don't say I need to give him a chance."

"I was going to say medication. Maybe you need to give him some medication that can help him be more likable."

Kerrak looked over at Kaz and raised his eyebrows. "Uh, huh."

Of course, Kaz really had been going to say Kerrak should give Ryo a chance. Being an angel, though, and in tune to more things than normal mortals would be, he could now see quite obviously that Kerrak must have once given Ryo a chance. It just hadn't gone well.

And another thing Kaz had just realized about Kerrak: He wasn't like other people. There was something... Unearthly about him. Kaz hadn't noticed it before because he was used to it. It was almost the same sort of feeling he's had a few seconds ago standing next to Yuna. Almost.

But not quite.

* * *

Sora sighed as he trudged along the hall beside Ryo. He didn't know what class he had next, didn't know where he was going. He was just walking. Thinking. Trying to figure out why exactly Ryo didn't... Well, not didn't like him necessarily. Just why he couldn't be more... Well, no. That had been it. They were twins, right? So why didn't Ryo like him at all? Why, instead, did he seem to hate Sora? Sora almost screamed in frustration when Ryo suddenly spoke.

"So, you need help getting to your next class as well?"

Sora flinched and felt his face fall immediately. He knew Ryo didn't care for him, but at least earlier today he had tried to cover it up. Those words had sounded cold and hard, as if his brother were speaking through steel.

"Oh... No. It... It's okay. I won't bother you with that, anymore," Sora muttered.

He wasn't going, too, either. In fact, now he wanted more than anything just to get away from Ryo. He was so mean. And, even though it wasn't Sora's fault he didn't know the way around classes, Ryo sounded angry, too.

Ryo spoke again, quickly this time. "Actually, it's really oka-"

"No, no. I can find it on my own," Sora cut him off.

Oh, no. He was not spending more time with Ryo, whom Sora decided to christen his evil twin, which was absolutely what Ryo was. Evil and mean. Like Sora knew all humans were before he came down there.

"Ah... well, at least tell me what class you have next... It might be on the way to my own," Ryo said.

Sora looked over warily at Ryo. He knew that Ryo didn't actually care. So wonderful of him to pretend to be nice AFTER being a jerk, Sora thought bitterly. He paused before pulling his schedule out to look at it. Might as well, just to make his evil twin happy. Sora nearly cursed as he looked at his sheet.

"Why did I sign up for that? Argh." He glanced up at Ryo. "Mechanics."

Suddenly Ryo smiled. Not with his eyes, not fully, so Sora knew it was a fake smile. Besides, Sora was an angel. He was keen to the feelings and thoughts of others. Add to that, Ryo was his twin. It was almost easier than usual to sense the desperation around the brunette before him.

"Great," Ryo said, making it painfully obvious why he was upset. "I have that, too."

Ryo and Sora walked in silence after that awkward moment. Ryo felt himself playing with the zipper on his binder constantly, his hands fidgeting. The sense he had that something was upsetting Sora kept growing increasingly fast, to the point where he almost believed it _was_ magic. Ryo let out a tiny sigh of relief when they got to their mechanics class. Something that rarely happened. He couldn't stand mechanics. It was possibly the worst class he had.

Especially considering the fact that 'the Grump' was in it. As Ryo and Sora took two seats next to each other, Ryo began to hate the seating arrangement they'd just settled for themselves. It was a recipe for disaster. In front of them sat Gippal, possibly the most arrogant guy Ryo had ever met. He was an amazingly good mechanic, though, and despite himself, Ryo often found himself asking the one-eyed blonde for help. Beside Gippal sat Rikku, a young blonde girl who Gippal was constantly flirting with, much to poor Rikku's dismay. And beside Rikku was her brother... Brother. He hated Gippal with an intense passion and Ryo often worried that Gippal was going to get a punch in his neck one of these days. It looked like Brother had reached his breaking point, too. Except Ryo was worried that Brother might miss and hit himself or Sora. Or maybe even Rikku.

Ryo groaned and looked towards the door, seeing if the teacher would come into the classroom anytime soon. He felt a flood of dread wash over him as 'the Grump' rather than the teacher, strutted into the room. Ryo's face lit up, though, and dread changed from relief when he saw who waltzed in after Kerrak.

The blonde smiled and quickly dragged Kerrak over to where they were sitting, plopping down next to Sora. As he fell into the seat beside them, however, Ryo noticed the boy's expression change to worry as he looked at Sora.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kaz asked Sora.

Ryo felt himself smirk He had been right. Sora was upset about something. Ryo's smirk was quickly displaced as he came to an oh-so-obvious realization. Sora was upset with him. With Ryo. For being mean. Then he frowned. No. He hadn't said that thing until after he'd noticed Sora was upset. Ryo's brow furrowed. His thoughts began to drift away from the classroom and further into what was upsetting Sora. So, of course, he didn't notice the wayward text book flying through the air until just before it would hit him in the face, knocking him out completely.

So, he'd been right after all. Brother _had_ reached his breaking point.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sora flinched at the thumping noise behind him. He didn't turn to see what stupid thing Ryo might possibly have done. But he did hear it. Sora kept his gaze focused on Kaz's face and began to splutter an excuse, though he knew it wouldn't help. ("Oh... Nothing's wrong...") But he never got it out, because that's when the screaming began. Sora 's neck snapped around to look at the young blonde girl in front of him just as she began to yell.

"Oh my God! Brother, look what you've done!"

It was then, facing ahead, that Sora saw what she was yelling over from the corner of his eye. He let out a tiny shriek of his own and jumped forward, reaching out to the brunette lying beside him. Magic was, interestingly enough, a natural talent to Sora, Kaz, and Riku. Just as healing magic welled inside of him, seeping through his veins and to his hands, he was yanked back by two arms around his stomach. Sora didn't move but instead stared at his twin lying on the ground and listened to the screeching around him.

"You almost gave us away..." he heard Kaz whispering.

He was right. And despite this major shock, the difference one second had made when Kaz pulled him back, chaos still reigned. The blonde sitting ahead of them screamed. The guy with one eye was in a fight with the mohawk kid. People around the classroom buzzed. The teacher still didn't show up. Somehow, in the midst of this confusion, someone- a young boy with jet-black hair- came to their senses and bent down next to the unconscious Ryo. He thought for a moment. He looked up as the doorknob rattled and the teacher's silhouette appeared in the thick glass of the window. The teacher fumbled for his keys. The doors automatically locked upon closing. The boy loudly shushed everyone in the room. Silence, except for the sound of the unconscious person being dragged and hidden under a table. A scrambling of feet and chair legs.

The door opened. The teacher entered as the last student plopped into their seat.

"Quiet? For once?" the teacher asked happily. "Excellent!"

He began roll call. There was brief confusion as to why Ryo didn't say 'here' when his name was called when he was sitting right in the room- until the teacher realized it was not Ryo, but his twin, a new student, and that Ryo was too 'sick' to attend class.

Mechanics, Sora quickly realized, was the most ridiculous class he'd ever been in. But then, compared to magic studies, sword-fighting lessons, and most of the other lessons he'd ever had, most human classes probably were rather stupid. One thing he noticed about the class was that most students were outrageously desperate to get into the actual shop and do hands-on work.

Not all students got this wish.

On this particular day, Kerrak was one of the few students chosen to go into the shop and do hands-on. It seemed to surprise everyone in the room that Gippal, the boy with only one eye, did not volunteer at all to go into the shop. He instead remained outside with Kaz, talking quietly. Sora decided it probably had something to do with the supposed-to-be-inconspicuous whispering that had gone on between them and Kerrak. Sora's suspicions were quickly confirmed.

Kerrak pushed the door to the shop open, startling the teacher as he lectured the remaining students on making designs for whatever the hell he was talking about- Sora couldn't be sure; he wasn't listening- accurately. "Oh my God!" he shrieked at the teacher. "I think we blew something up in there!"

"What!" the teacher exclaimed. "Five minutes and yo-"

The rest of the teacher's sentence was lost to the students sitting in the classroom as he rushed after Kerrak into the shop. Immediately, Kaz and Gippal leapt from their chairs and dragged Ryo out from under the table and hoisted him up- one grabbing his legs, the other his arms- quickly taking him from the room.

Gippal and Kaz carried the unconscious Ryo down the hallway in silence, before finally coming to a stop at the nurse's office, and dropping him on one of the beds inside.

"Oh, my! What happened?" the worried nurse inquired.

"He, uh... Fell. Hit his head pretty badly," Kaz lied.

The nurse hunched over the body and examined quickly.

"Well," she sighed. "He seems alright... One of you will have to stay behind with him until he awakens."

The nurse shuffled from the room and into another part of her office, closing the door firmly behind her. Kaz and Gippal exchanged a glance, both not wanting to stay in the office.

"Mechanics is my fave class. Can't miss it."

Kaz sighed and plopped into a nearby chair. "Fine."

Gippal grinned and dashed into the hallway. He would have to tell the teacher he was called to the principal's office... And he would say Kaz went with him, but that he fell down the stairs and was in the nurse's office. It was true enough.

Kaz glared angrily at the unconscious twin of his best friend. He didn't want to baby sit some knocked out guy for the next hour. Especially not one who was old enough to... Pay attention when he was about to get hit by a book. Really. How can you not notice a book flying at your head? Furthermore, Kaz had no intentions of helping this particular slow-witted person, either. Whatever had been upsetting Sora when Kaz had first come in the classroom was only too obviously Ryo's fault.

Kaz looked up as the door opened and Gippal stepped in. Smiling, he dropped Ryo and Kaz's books at his feet. He then turned and left the room again.

Sighing, Kaz placed his head in his hands, leaning forward. He _could_ just... Speed the process of waking up. Just a little bit. The nurse was in a second wing attached to the room he was in, so it wasn't like she would notice if he just used a little magic. He looked up at Ryo. He reached forward but then pulled his hands backward. He really shouldn't be using magic. Add to that, Ryo was Sora's twin. Using magic on Sora always had odd effects. It was exactly the same with Kaz and Riku and had been since they were little. Using magic on Ryo could go completely haywire, he realized. So he would have to wait.

_On the other hand_, he reasoned, Of course_ it goes wrong when magic is used on us. We're... _He could barely think the word without shuddering. All angels had been raised to abbhor their type- including themselves.

_And Ryo's_... _not_.

But then Kaz thought of the sometimes strange effects magic had on his own twin- _Because he's so similar to **you**, _someone had explained once with disgust in their voice. He thought wistfully of his family then, his sister Namine, his parents who were often too harsh because of what he was but who were still the ones who'd raised and guided him, his older brother- the epitome of role model, polite, talented, handsome, clever... Unfortunately, Kay knew all this and was dreadfully arrogant, but still, Kaz loved him desperately.

Most of all, as always, he thought of Roxas. His twin. His other half. He shook his head, not wanting to get himself caught up in a wave of homesickness.

Kaz looked at the clock. It was a little past 9:40. Their next class was at 10:15. It probably wasn't the best thing in the world to miss a class on your first day at school. Impatiently, Kaz began to twitch his hands about, cracking his knuckles. He flexed his fingers and stared at them for a minute. And stared. And stared. He looked at the clock and almost felt his jaw hit the floor. It was already 10:09. How was that possible? He must have just fallen into some sort of trance. It happens.

He gave the unconscious boy beside him a fleeting glance and once again his head fell into his hands. This was going to take forever.

"How," he muttered angrily to himself, "Can you not.. See... A book coming at you?"

The last few words came out louder than he had intended and Ryo began to stir. Kaz looked on hopefully as Ryo rolled over. And laughed as he rolled right over the edge of the bed.

"Ah!"

Kaz stuck his tongue out between his teeth to stop from laughing. It was hard, though. This was funny. He watched happily as Ryo groaned and rolled over looking up at the ceiling. And at Kaz, who was now just barely keeping from laughing. It was fairly obvious.

"It's... Not... Funny."

Kaz smiled. "If you insist."

Ryo sat up and grabbed the edge of the examining table thing, pulling himself to his feet.

"Well, okay," Kaz said standing up. "Now that you've awoken from your deep slumber, Sleeping Beauty, we have to go to our next class. Mine is-" Kaz looked at his schedule. "-Art. Tell me which way the room is, please."

Ryo looked over at Kaz and glared.

"Where are my-"

Kaz nodded downwards before he finished the question. Ryo huffed and picked up the books from the floor. Kaz smiled and grabbed the top half. Ryo opened his mouth to say something, but then saw that he'd picked up both his and Kaz's books. After a moment of slience, Ryo turned and left the room. Kaz followed and the two boys walked down the hall in silence.

"Um, why were-?"

"Someone had to wait while you caught up on your beauty sleep."

Ryo puffed out his cheeks. Kaz knew he was being mean- delving into Ryo's thoughts so he knew what he was asking before he finished and answering before then, too. But it was fun. And Ryo had obviously been mean to Sora. So he deserved it.

Kaz hoped. It would be awful if he were wrong but... Hopefully he wasn't.

"Um. Does Mr-"

"No. Uh... Well, see. funny thing about that. See, you were knocked out... And we didn't want the teacher to find you. So, uh, Kerrak... Dragged you under a table and then we-"

"He what?"

"Uh."

"What?"

"Dragged you under a table."

There was silence for a few moments, in which time Kaz did not exercise powers to find out what Ryo was thinking. Whatever was going on between him and Kerrak, Kaz wanted to stay out of.

"Well," Ryo finally said. "We're at the art room, in any case."

Ryo opened the door and walked in, Kaz realizing with a groan that he must have had art, too.

"This day is going to be longer than I thought..."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The first thing Ryo felt entering the art classroom was despair. Art had always been one of his favourite classes, and it had just been ruined for him. He stared for a moment at the two empty seats left. He could either sit next to the Grump, which had never happened before during this class and wasn't going to anytime soon, or he could sit next to his emotionally troubled twin brother. After contemplation, Ryo took a seat next to Sora and forced himself to at least pretend he was happy. He turned for a second to his right to smile briefly at Sora and then to his left. Shuyin was sitting on this side thankfully, so the class couldn't turn out that bad. Shuyin was, however, turned around talking to Riku who was sitting next to the Grump, directly behind Ryo. Kaz came in and plopped next to the seat beside Kerrak and behind Sora.

"Shuyin!" Ryo spat. Shuyin turned to look at him.

"Wha?"

Shuyin must have met Riku in entrepreneur, which he knew they'd both had.

"You suck!" Ryo kept his voice low so the people around them couldn't hear and hit Shuyin's arm.

"This is the worst seating arrangement I have EVER been in!"

"Ow!"

Everyone looked over at them because Shuyin was so loud. Ryo turned away angrily so he was facing forward in his seat. Shuyin went back to talking with Riku. People's interest faded and they stopped staring.

"That was kind. The best way to show your friends affection is by hitting them."

Ryo turned to look at Sora. He was writing something down on the paper in front of him. Judging by the length of the lines, Ryo assumed it was something like a poem. He didn't answer for a moment, unsure of what to say. He couldn't tell whether Sora was being sarcastic, or if he was just spaced out and saying whatever. He figured it was the second, though.

"Um, yeah." Sora said nothing. What was he writing that he could be so totally zonked out over? Ryo realized this could probably be a chance to get to know Sora better. "So... What are you writing?"

Ryo really didn't want Sora to go on hating him forever. He could at least try to start a civil conversation. Sora didn't answer, though. Ryo opened his mouth to say something more but was cut off.

"Just stuff."

It took him a moment to realize that the reason Sora hadn't answered hadn't been because he was angry. It was because- Ryo had been right before- Sora was totally spaced out, obviously wrapped up in whatever he was writing.

"...Stuff...?"

Ryo waited for about a minute before Sora's next reply came. He set his pencil down and looked over at Ryo.

"Yes. Stuff. Why?"

"I just... Uh... I just..."

"Wanted to know?"

"Um. Basically... basically, yeah."

Sora prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue, giving him a cynical look.

"Uh-huh."

Ryo felt like reaching over to slap him. Why did Sora have to make things so awkward? Ryo laughed nervously at the angry look on Sora's face. He hated to admit this, even to himself, but he was becoming very very frightened. And he really did want to know what Sora was writing.

"Well, okay. Your laugh has a sick desperation in it." Ryo blinked. Did Sora really just say that? "If you really must know, it's, ah... A song."

"A song? You write music?"

Sora shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"I don't know," Ryo replied.

Sora looked at Ryo for a few more moments but then turned away to continue writing. Ryo tilted his head a bit until he could see more clearly the words scrawled on Sora's paper. It didn't take long for Ryo to realize that Sora was a very talented writer. It really could be a nice song...

Ryo pulled his eyes away from the paper. It wasn't any of his business. And the words on the page unsettled him. It was probably just a lovesong, but, still... those first few lines could apply very easily to... Well. To Ryo being a total jackass.

"It's just a song. Has nothing to do with what's actually happening in my life, really.."

"Pardon?" Ryo looked over quickly at Sora. How had he known what Ryo was thinking? And how could he lie so badly? It was obvious that song did have to do with his life.

Ryo became even more confused as Kaz reached forward and smacked Sora on the back of the head. One of Sora's hands flew to the spot that was hit and his face went bright red.

"Uh. Just... Um. Just uh... The... Look on your face, you know... And, um..." Sora began to fumble with his words. Kaz had gone back to his conversation with the grump. Ryo laughed.

"What- Did you read my mind?"

The red left Sora's face, as did all other colour.

"Ha... Ha. Um... No, unfortunately, I don't have that talent... Um, just..."

Sora sank down into his seat. He was obviously embarrassed.

"Right.. Not that mind-reading is really even possible," Ryo said.

"Yes, it is!" snapped a voice behind him. The people in the room all became quiet. Everyone knew about the conflicts between Ryo and Kerrak.

Ryo spun around in his seat to glare at the black-haired person behind him.

"No, it's not."

It might have seemed like a stupid thing to get in a fight over for most people, but it wasn't for them. It was the original thing that had... Well.

"Yes, it is."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, it is! You're so stupid. It's possible and, and..." Kerrak began to furrow his brow in frustration.

"Possible and outside the limitations of science?" Ryo prompted curtly.

"No. But obviously outside the limitations of your tiny understanding of the world."

Ryo felt his anger rising. He hated Kerrak enough without the kid being an ass.

"You're such a... Jesus Christ. I'm not the one with limited knowledge, okay? You're the one who takes stupid stuff like... Ih... Telekinesis and 'magical' creatures seriously. They don't exist!"

"You know, Ryo, you're such a fu-"

"Um, could you two shut up?"

Ryo clenched his jaw and turned to look at Sora.

"You're just... Kinda loud, and... Fighting over stupid stuff, and..."

"Stupid, like, why?" Kerrak asked suddenly. "Stupid because you think magic can exist or because it doesn't?"

"Oh, well..." Sora spluttered. "I... Well, um... I personally think that... Uh, magic is, uh...Well."

Poor Sora. It was obvious they were putting him on the spot. Ryo really just wanted to prove Kerrak wrong, though. Sora had to agree with him. Sure, they didn't get along very well, but they were twins. He had to agree. Had to.

Sora rubbed his hand against his forehead. Everyone in the room was looking at him. He wanted to say he believed in magic because he did. He knew it was real. KNEW. He couldn't say that, though. Things were already awkward enough between him and Ryo without him disagreeing on something with him. But he couldn't lie and say he didn't, either. Kerrak was his roommate and was going to be for the next while, he was quite sure. Things could get awkward.

"You know what? I don't think Sora wants to answer that question."

It was Kaz.

"Stay out of it!" Kerrak and Ryo both said at the same time.

"No."

This time it was two voices. Riku and Kaz. Sora shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't surprised. Kaz and Riku always stood up for him and always would, probably.

Four voices at once now. It was Ryo and Kerrak both arguing with Kaz and Riku. Eventually it became that Ryo and Kerrak were arguing with each other and Riku. Kaz was just trying to get them all to shut up. everyone else in the classroom joined in. Some on Sora's side, saying that they shouldn't put him on the spot, some on Ryo's, some on Kerrak's, some agreeing with Kaz that everyone should shut up...

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Everyone looked at Kaz.

"Thank you. Now that you're all quiet. Once again, I really don't think Sora wants to answer your question, and I don't want to listen to you two bickering anymore. So." Kaz smiled brightly. "Shut up. Thank you."

Ryo and Kerrak both glared at Kaz for a moment bu then turned and both stared at different walls. Eventually, the uneasy silence in the room was broken by a student standing in the middle of the room.

"So. When is the teacher getting here?"

The buzz picked up again and people began talking again. Sora could easily pick out their words. All their conversations were about what had just happened. Sora rested his head in one of his hands. Now both Ryo and Kerrak would be angry at him, when he was trying to think of a solution where neither of them would be.

"Hey." Sora turned around to look at Kaz. "One of them was going to end up pissy at you anyways. Just..." Kaz smiled at Sora, obviously unable to think up some comforting words.

Sora smiled back lightly and turned around. After a while, he felt an odd feeling, like he was being watched. He looked over at Kerrak, who turned his head away after giving a look of sympathy. Sora wasn't sure if it was because he was sorry or because Kerrak felt bad that Sora had a twin like Ryo. He figured it was probably the latter.

"I'm sorry." Sora snapped his head over to Ryo, who was looking at him with an expression that told Sora that he really was sorry.

"Why don't you believe in magic?" Sora asked.

Ryo's face hardened. "Why do you ask? Because you do?"

"No..." Sora said quickly. He scrambled in his mind for an excuse."It's just that... People don't usually get into such.. Heated arguments over something like that so I figured that... You know. You must have some pretty... Serious reasons, or something... Like that."

Ryo pursed his lips.

"You don't think the boundaries of science are serious enough?"

"Not really."

Sora bit his lip. He hadn't meant to say that. "I mean to say-"

"No, I get it." Suddenly the anger left Ryo's face and he looked vulnerable. "It's just that... magic is so complicated. With science, and facts... Things don't change. They can never let you down."

Sora considered for a moment what Ryo had said. It sounded like something he thought would come from a person with deep-seated emotional problems or... Well. Deep-seated emotional problems. Trust issues. Things like that. Ryo turned away and began speaking to Shuyin.

Why had Sora said anything at all? Why hadn't he just let them argue? Now they were both angry at him. Ryo probably didn't believe him and figured he agreed with Kerrak... No doubt Kerrak felt Sora agreed with Ryo. They both hated him now. Not just Ryo and not just Kerrak. Both. Why hadn't he kept quiet?

Sora could only sigh and wonder to this. Like Hell he was going to spend his time worrying about that.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sora woke up with a bigger headache than he had ever had before. It was Monday, which meant he had Chemistry first thing. He'd only been at school for one week but he'd memorized the entire schedule- he was good at that stuff, especially considering he'd had a _little_ magical assistance. But just a little. Sora had no real preference to any of the classes. He basically hated them all- except music, but then he hadn't had a music class yet. The students were apparently working on some major project and the teacher had fallen sick. She refused to let them work with a substitute because she said they would mess the project up for the students. Basically, as far as Sora understood, they were expected to write a bunch of songs. They had their first music class today. He was confident he could catch up with the others on this one easily.

All the other classes, though, he hated. Hated because, 1: They were human classes, and rather lame. Mythology was absolutely ridiculous. Equestrian was okay. It really could be fun. He despised gym. It was horrid. (They were doing races. Kaz, Riku and Sora had won most of them.) And his second reason: Perhaps it has something to do with being twins and drawn to the same thing. Ryo was in every single one of his classes. Absolutely all of them. They sat together in almost all of them, just because Sora felt even more awkward than he already did, otherwise. Any classes that Riku or Kaz were in, though, he stuck with them. Even Kerrak was sometimes preferred to Ryo. Not that it happened often. Sitting with Kerrak was just as awkward now as sitting with Ryo had ever been.

After the fight they'd gotten into in art class, both boys refused to talk to Sora. Kerrak did occasionally. But not because he wanted to. It was usually something stupid that he said anyways. "Where's the remote?" or "Move, why don't ya?" But that really was something to say compared to Ryo. Ryo had spoken a grand total of 13 words to Sora in the past week. He knew because he'd counted. Sora sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn't know why, but he was still dressed in his clothes. Straining to remember, Sora realized it had only been because he had a headache the night before and Kerrak refused to turn his radio down. Sora groaned and stumbled into the bathroom. He cleaned up and was about to use some magic to clear up the headache, but decided he would just use some medicine. Humans used it all the time. How bad could it be?

Quite bad. After choking down the Advil, Sora pulled on clean clothes and looked over at his clock. If it was right, which it was, classes had already started and some had finished. They were late. He looked around the room at the three boys still sleeping. He COULD wake them up... He would wake Kaz up. He was not going to show that courtesy to Kerrak, and he thought it would be funny to have Riku miss some classes anyways. A good prank. He woke Kaz up and the two ran off laughing at the fact that Riku would get in so much trouble. Halfway to the art room, Kaz veered off and said he'd meet Sora at the music room. Sora shrugged and kept going. Fourth period classes were just letting out, which meant that they would be on time for music, just like all the other students.

Turning the corner to the art class, Sora bumped into someone who'd stopped in the middle of the hallway. Sora began to apologize but the person's loud cursing made him stop. He began to snap back but stopped when he saw who it was.

Sora had spoken to his older brother Cloud a few times. About three, maybe. He got along with Cloud much better than he did with Ryo but felt absolutely no inclination to get to know him. Cloud was... Sora didn't know how to put it. He wasn't big, per say... And he didn't seem like the kind of person who would... beat on someone just for annoying him, but Cloud was still... Formidable, for lack of a better word. Scary.

Cloud glared down at him for a moment but then his face relaxed.

"Oh. Just you, um...?"

"Sora."

He hadn't forgotten Sora's name, had he? That was absolutely ridiculous. Sure they'd only spoken three times, but you would think that one would still be able to remember someone's name. Especially considering he was the little brother Cloud hadn't known he'd had. Really, how do you just forget something like th-

"Eh. Sorry. I couldn't tell if you were Sora or Ryo."

Sora felt himself scowling. "Oh."

"It's not that bad being mixed up with Ryo, is it?"

"Yes."

Cloud gave Sora a look of sympathy.

"Love to stay and chat but, you know... Duty calls."

Cloud grinned and turned off down the hall. Sora couldn't help but grin when he saw that Cloud's 'duty' was a girl with her brown hair in two braids and bright green eyes. She and Cloud walked down the hall together, Cloud's arm around her waist. Sora shook his head and continued heading for the music room. He kept his eyes on the floor, figuring it was easier to avoid his evil twin if he didn't see him. Once again, however, he crashed into someone. Sora and the person fell to the floor, books flying everywhere.

"Ach! Sorry... Really, I didn't mean-" Sora said, just as the person muttered, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

Sora had begun to pick up books. He looked up and blinked.

"No..." he said. "It's okay."

He looked down at the pile of books in his hands. The one on top was bright pink. Not his. He smiled and handed it to the girl he'd bumped into.

"Oh, thanks," she said.

The two picked up their books in silence then headed their separate ways down the hall. Sora wandered to the music class, his mind caught on memories of all the times he and Riku had gotten in fights over humans. Riku had said, "That one's hot." Sora would snap back saying that they weren't- they were, after all, human. And inferior. Sora wished desperately now he could take that back. The girl he'd bumped into- there were words to describe her.

Amazing. Beautiful. Gorgeous. Breath-taking.

That basically summed it up.

He plopped down into a seat in the music room ignoring the buzz around him. He could not, and didn't particularly want to, shake his thoughts from the girl he'd bumped into. Eventually, Sora began to wonder where Kaz was. He turned to look at the classroom door and felt his jaw drop. He spun around in his seat quickly. The person who'd just walked in was exactly who he was thinking about. He watched (subtly, not obviously. didn't want her to know he was watching) as she walked over and sat with her friends.

She was petite. Small. Probably a head beneath him. Something like that. She wasn't pale but he wouldn't go so far as to say she was tan, either. She was closer to pale than tan, though, he could say that much. Her face was framed by crimson hair that fell just below her jaw. Her eyes were blue. Bright, bright blue. The essence of beauty.

To Sora, at least.

Sora was pulled out of his thoughts as someone behind him spoke. He recognized the voice as Ryo's but he didn't care who was speaking, really. It was what they said that concerned him.

"Her name's Kairi."

That Sora could accept, but what followed...

"You might wanna check with the Grump for permission before you do anything with her."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Her name's Kairi. You might wanna check with the Grump for permission before you do anything with her."

Sora spun in his seat.

"What?'

Ryo grinned and plopped down into the chair next to him.

"Ever heard of Irish twins?"

"Yeah... They're born like, in the same year but they're not really twins," Sora replied. "What has that got to do with-?"

"Eleven months apart, in this case. Kairi's the younger of the two. Kerrak doesn't like guys around her so much. The typical overprotective brother type, you know. You must understand- you have Yuna."

Sora scowled. He didn't care what Yuna did! well, of course he did. But it was her life. Sora wold only step in if she were doing something really bad for her. So, why, he asked himself, couldn't Kerrak do the same?

Sora rested his face in his hands.

"No. I let Yuna live her own life."

"Well," Ryo laughed. "Kerrak doesn't. I imagine he might make an exception with you, though. I mean your roommate's an-"

"He hates me. After the whole... Um. Thing last week in art, he's been kinda touchy."

"Oh. Well, if you're already on shaky grounds with Kerrak there's no chance of getting to Kairi. He does let some guys within a 5 foot radius if he really trusts them, but if he's already angry at you-"

"Okay!" Sora snapped. "I get it."

Ryo laughed.

Sora thought for a moment.

"That was close to 100 words."

Ryo blinked. "Pardon?"

"You just said something like 100 words to me."

"Um, yeah... So?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "That makes your word total since last week 113, roughly."

Ryo cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. Well, anyways... Oh, hey, you should know. Don't stare at Kairi during class."

"Huh?"

"Kerrak has this one, too, an-"

Suddenly the door burst open. Kerrak and Riku stood in the ntryway, both seething. They stomped over to where Sora and Ryo were sitting, looking ready to kill.

"You little sh-" Kerrak started.

"It was Kaz's idea."

"No, it wasn't!" Riku spat. "Kaz wouldn't do something like that."

"But he did."

Riku glared at Sora for a moment and then sat down in front of Ryo. Kerrak sat in front of Sora. Sora and Ryo exchanged glances.

"What'd you do?"

Sora couldn't help but smile. "Didn't wake them up. They missed the last three classes." Ryo laughed. "Not that it really matters," Sora continued. "I did, too."

"Yeah, I know. I was wondering where you guys were..."

"Boo!"

Sora and Ryo both jumped as Kaz shouted and sat in the seat on the opposite side of Ryo as Sora. Kaz smiled. Sora shook his head at him and turned away. And was suddenly very, very scared.

Kairi was standing directly in front of them. She smiled and held a book out to Sora.

"I picked it up by accident earlier... I didn't notice it or I would've given it back then, when we were both right there, you know. Sorry."

She smiled at him again and flounced back to where her friends were sitting. It took Sora a lot not to shake as Kerrak turned around slowly in his seat to look at Sora.

"What the hell-?"

Sora raised his hands in a defensive gesture of innocence.

"I didn't touch her. We just bumped into each other in the hall. I swear."

"Oh, really?" Kerrak hissed.

"Well... yeah. Really, though, I didn-"

"Kerrak!"

The group of boys turned to look where Kairi was sitting. She shook her head and wagged her finger before turning to continue talking with her friends.

Kerrak glared at Sora. "You're one lucky bastard."

"Heh..." Sora sunk into his seat. "Good."

Sora let his forehead smack onto the desk and sat there quietly for a moment. Ryo and Kaz were talking about the big project they had to do- Ryo was doing a very poor job of explaining it. Kerrak seemed to be doing a better job for Riku ahead of them. Sora sighed and closed his eyes.

He may have fallen asleep but at that very moment, Mrs.Valencourt entered the room.

"Now!" the teacher exclaimed clapping her hands together when she reached her desk. "It's very important that we get back to our projects as quickly as possible. I understand we have some new students? Raise your hands, please."

Sora, Riku, and Kaz raised their hands. The teacher lowered her glasses down the bridge of her nose and looked at Sora.

"Now, Ryo, dear, you're not a new student."

"Uh, no..." Sora said. "I'm Sora... Ryo's..."

Sora gestured next to him.

"Oh! Goodness. For a second I thought I was seeing double. Well... Okay, then. And you two are...?"

Kaz and Riku introduced themselves.

The teacher began to tell the class what she expected of them. The project was basically just a matter of writing a lot of songs. For one week they would work on instrumental songs. They had to write at least 2 that were over 1 minute. Then they did a whole shitload of work on songs with lyrics until the Christmas break. They had been working on the project since the first day of classes and had only been three weeks into it. Each week, Mrs.Valencourt gave them a different type of song to write- Not like, R&B or pop... Like, a breakup song, or a love song... Or a song about criminals. They had written two song types... The criminals and the breakup song. Ryo had hated both.

Sora grinned like a maniac next to Ryo.

"You don't enjoy this, do you?" Ryo asked vaguely, biting his lip.

"Of course I do," Sora whispered back. "I told you already that I write music. I'm good at this stuff."

"Sure," Ryo answered. "You must be good at everything." It came out more resentfully than he intended, so he quickly added, "Since you're related to me, that is..."

Surprisingly, Sora actually laughed. "Are you sure it's not the other way around? Maybe we should find out who was born first... I'll bet it was me and you're just a lame clone whose related to _me_."

"I'm oldest," Ryo said immediately, amazed at how suddenly easy it was to get along with the other.

Sora shot back, "How do you know?"

"Because I'm obviously so much more mature. And because Mom loves me more. Therefore she has probably loved me the longest."

"Shut up," was Sora's genius reply, which was uttered in a welcomingly teasing tone.

Ryo didn't shut up, of course, but actually, Sora didn't seem to mind-- it was possible that he wasn't entirely evil after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ryo grinned as he maneuvered his way through the crowd at what was called 'The Devil's Dance Floor.' The Dance Floor, as Ryo and all his friends called it, was the best club near their school and probably the best for an even further area around. Tt was the best place to be on a Friday night like this one.

Ryo looked through the crowd and caught a flash of silver, which he assumed was Riku. Kaz and Kerrak had refused to come with them, unsurprisingly. Ryo hadn't expected (nor wanted) Kerrak to come and Kaz had become real close to Kerrak real fast so his declination to come wasn't really a shocker. Sora hadn't come either. Ryo wasn't really sure how to feel about that. Since their little performance in 's class, Ryo and Sora had become closer, certainly, but there were still times when Ryo felt the same as he had that first day, when he and Sora had headed for chemistry. He just couldn't feel trustful around Sora. It was like there was something... Different about him. Ryo always tried to ignore this, but it was hard.

As Ryo got closer to Riku he saw who he was with- Selphie. No much of a surprise, but still... Ryo couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at Riku's closeness with the brunette. Ryo pushed the feeling away. He didn't even know why he felt jealous. He did not like Selphie. Not in that way.

"Hey, Ryo!" Riku and Selphie exclaimed as Ryo approached.

Ryo smiled, although it wasn't a real smile. They didn't seem to notice. They'd been deep in conversation when Ryo had come over to them, and he figured they probably wanted to ge back to that.

"Um... I'm gonna go out back for some fresh air, kay?"

"Yeah, sure!" Selphie said while Riku replied with, "Go to it."

Ryo stumbled out the back door and took in a deep gulp of air. He couldn't tell himself if he'd come outside to get away from the musty smoke-filled air of the club, or if he just didn't like seeing Riku and Selphie so close. He convinced himself it was the smoke. Ryo began to step forward but froze. There was a sound. Coming from just around the corner. It was like... A muffled sort of whimpering.

Ryo cautiously walked down the alley he was in and glanced around the corner into the next alley that headed up alongside another building. This one could only be accessed from the one Ryo was standing in now or the building it was behind.

Ryo wasn't surprised at what he saw. A girl had her back pressed against the wall with some guy on top of her, tongue wrestling each other. Ryo shook his head when he saw the bottle in the girl's hand. She was obviously drunk and probably had no idea what she was doing. Poor thing would probably end up ruining her life by getting pregnant. Ryo had to stifle a gasp as the guy shifted his weight and he got a good look at the girl's face. He wasn't sure what to do. The guy here looked pretty big...

But Ryo knew of two other guys who would be really upset if she did get with this one. Before he could stop himself, Ryo had stalked up to the guy, pulled him off her, and thrown him to the ground. Ryo grabbed the girl by the wrist and dragged her back into the Dance Floor, ignoring her pleas to let go of her and her shrieks of "What the hell?"

He pulled her over to where Shuyin was, explained what had happened and said he was leaving.

"Good idea," Shuyin said quickly. "Try to avoid... Him. kay?"

"I will. He's probably out, anyways. I bet all three of them went out after we left for here."

"Maybe," Shuyin mused thoughtfully. "Don't let him see you with her. He hates you enough already. He would murder you."

Ryo shrugged and dragged the girl out of the club. He began to pull her up the street. Eventually they reached their school and headed inside. Ryo headed in the direction of the dorms.

"What are you doing?" she whined, pulling away and digging her nails into his arm.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" he hissed. "Did you even know that guy's name?"

"Yes! It was... I knew what I was doing, okay? Leave me alone!"

Ryo shook his head. He dragged the girl to her room and pushed her inside.

"You're such a jerk! I knew what I was doing!"

Ryo sighed as he closed the door behind her.

"I swear to God, Kairi, you are psychotic."

"What?"

Ryo spun around.

"Kerrak... Huh. What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

Ryo opened his mouth but couldn't think of anything to say. "Well... Um..." He pointed at the door Kairi was standing behind. "Saving her life."

"Doesn't look that way."

"Ask her!" Ryo exclaimed. Kerrak raised an eyebrow and pushed the door open, hitting Kairi, who was still standing right next to it.

"Ow!"

"Where have you been?"

"Out," Kairi pouted.

"Out getting drunk and making out with guys you don't even know in alleyways!" Ryo added.

Kairi glared at him and slammed the door shut in their faces. Kerrak stood there for a moment as if contemplating what to do next. Then he turned and left.

"You're just going to let her do that?" Ryo asked.

"There's no sense trying to reason with her- if what you say is true- and she's drunk."

"Of course it's true," Ryo muttered.

He sighed and trudged down the hall. He didn't think about it until the next morning, but it had been the first civil exchange he and Kerrak had managed since...

* * *

Sora rolled over. He thought it really, really stupid that he was already in bed, but he just was. He couldn't go out and have fun because he had so much on his mind. The mythology class he'd had earlier in the day just wasn't leaving him alone.

The teacher had told the class about an ancient legend involving an 'angel kingdom.' One Sora had heard many, many times. A legend that was the reason his life was as it was.

The legend told of four angels. Four angels who would destroy the entire kingdom of angels one day, leaving almost no one alive. Sora cringed, remembering the casual way Kaz's brother had related it to him (probably leaving something immensely important out, knowing him)- "So basically you guys are gonna grow up and open a portal to Hell, and we're all going to run around psyhotic trying to close it... Failing, of course. Eventually you supposedly close it, but I guess you close the demons in along with the angels and we all get massacred...I can't wait."

It was said that the black magic these angels wielded would be beyond the power of any other in existence. The angels' coming would be marked by the colour of their wings. Black.

Like Sora's. Like Kaz's. And Riku's.

They could also be discerned from other angels by their power over the elements... One would control water, one lightning, one fire, and one ice. The elements would literally be a part of the angel controlling it. The ice element strengthened the ice-angel. Likewise, the fire element- opposed to ice- could harm them. Even touching the angel that controlled the opposing element could hurt- it burned your skin away and made it rot. Sora knew from experience- he being the 'ice-angel' and Riku the fire-angel... Well, they had not made direct contact since they were about four. Sora still had a scar from one time when they had.

They were marked. Destined to kill their families and the other angels with horrendous, powerful magics.

Riku, Kaz and Sora had never been taught black magic like everyone else their age, as a precaution. Sora didn't understand it at all. He had absolutely no desire to destroy a kingdom- especially not his home. It was simply a matter of the legend never coming true. He would never hurt anyone there. Riku and Kaz wouldn't either, he knew.

Besides, there was no fourth angel. There were only three. The legend couldn't come true. There were two reasons why.

Sora sighed and rolled over again. One, actually. Despite it being... Forbidden, put nicely, Sora, Riku and Kaz had gone ahead and learned dark magic anyways. Black magic just seemed so... attractive to him. Sora hadn't been able to help but pull book after book on the art off shelves in his home library and spirit them away to where he could read them in private. Riku and Kaz, he'd learned after awhile, had done the exact same thing. It didn't change anything, though. They still wouldn't go around murdering the people they'd grown up with.

Sora jumped as the door to the room flung open and Kerrak stalked in. Sora watched as he stomped across the room and sat on the edge of his bed. Sora lay down again. Kerrak stood up and kicked something over. Sora sat up and watched him storm about the room wreaking havoc on everything. He flinched, looking away as Kerrak mindlessly wrecked the place like it was what he was born to do.

But it wasn't. This was what _Sora_ was destined to do, not him. Destroy things and ruin everything around. He didn't want that. He covered his face with a pillow. Unfortunately the racket could still be heard. The door opened again.

"What the hell happened in here?"

Sora could easily recognize the voice as Ryo's. He took the pillow from his face and rolled over again so he was looking at the door. Kerrak must have forgotten to lock it.

"Nothing, Ryo. Fuck off," Kerrak spat.

Sora sat up. He opened his mouth to ask them to keep it down so he could sleep. He figured it would be best to do that before they even started.

"No." Ryo pursed his lips and continued speaking. "No. I am not going to leave you alone until you say you believe me about Kairi. I don't want you freaking out on me sometime tomorrow in front of probably everyone over something that I didn't do, because I didn't do anything."

Sora's interest had been caught at the mention of Kairi's name.

"What happened?"

It seemed to be the first time either Kerrak or Ryo noticed him there.

"How did you get in here?" Kerrak asked. Sora didn't answer.

"Kairi," Ryo began, about to explain.

"Shut up!" Kerrak snapped.

"Oh, no. I'm telling someone, so that I have another witness. Kairi got drunk and made out with some thug and probably almost got herself raped, and I helped her. And he's being an ass about it."

Sora shifted uncomfortably. He did not want to get caught up in this.

"Why don't you go talk to Kairi about it?" he asked.

"Because she'll lie. Duh," Ryo said.

Sora thought for a moment.

"You know, Kaz is like a human lie detector. You should get him to help."

Of course Sora could have determined whether or not she was lying himself, but he figured it was better Kaz got in a fight with Ryo and Kerrak than him.

"Fine," Ryo said. "We will."

"Tomorrow," Kerrak added.

"Fine!" Ryo said again before turning to leave the room. When he had left, Sora reached over to his stereo, turned it on, and put on some headphones. It was barely audible to him now, but Kerrak had once again begun to freak out. Rolling over to face the wall, Sora fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sora awoke with a thud when he fell out of bed. Or rather, was pulled out of bed. "Get up!" Kaz was shouting and pulling Sora to his feet.

Sora, Riku and Kaz told sorry to get dressed. They literally _pushed _him into the bathroom, saying to **hurry **_up _and flipping shower! When he'd finished, he was pulled out of the room and down the hallway to the office, where apparently they had to inform someone of authority that they were leaving. Kaz yanked on Sora's arm and pulled him down the hallway and into the parking lot around the side of the school. he was dragged unceremoniously over to a black convertible.

"Who's is thi-"

"My brother's!" Kerrak answered. "My older brother. He goes to school here, but he's visiting home because of some... Stuff. In any case, his car is still here, and we can borrow it." Kerrak flashed Sora a smile. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Sora hesitantly got in the backseat with Riku and soon they were zipping down the road at a pace that left Sora breathless despite being in the car. Somewhat safe. The car pulled into the parking lot of a giant...

"Shopping mall? We're going... Shopping?"

"Yeah... Oh... A... Friend of ours arranged these. Here," Riku said.

HE handed Sora a credit card. Sora looked at it for a moment and then shrugged. "Great."

The four boys headed into the mall.

"It's pretty big..." Kaz muttered.

"Yeah," Kerrak said. "But it's not the biggest mall. That's in Alberta. It's huge. I went there for a whole day once and I didn't even see a quarter of it."

"Sounds big," Sora concluded.

"Heh. Yeah."

"So where are we going first?" Riku asked.

"Well, we'll storm the bottom floor then work our way up."

By the time they had gone to every store or shop or boutique on the bottom floor that Kerrak deemed worthy, Kerrak had spent more than Sora figured he should. Sora had spent virtually nothing. Unlike everyone else.

"You don't buy much, do ya?" Kerrak commented while they stood on an escalator headed for the second floor.

"We've not really been anywhere... good," Sora answered.

They stepped off the escalator and onto the second floor. Sora immediately felt his mood lift greatly. He rushed ahead of the others a bit. "Next store!" he exclaimed pointing to the one ahead of him, which was completely filled with books. Sora grinned as he headed into Chapters, leaving the three other boys behind him.

"Oh, God..." Kerrak breathed. "He's not the kind of person who..."

"We'll be in there for two hours... At the least," Kaz told him. Begrudgingly, Kerrak followed them into the store...

* * *

Sora pulled yet another book off the shelf at Chapters. He read the back with ridiculous speed and shoved it back into its place. Kerrak watched with disbelief. "Looked lame," Sora said casually.

Sora pulled another book off the shelf, reading the back once again. This one apparently looked better because Sora flipped it open and read the first few paragraphs.

"How do you-?" Kerrak had never seen anyone read quite as fast as Sora.

He turned to Kaz who was standing just down the aisle. "Is he... Like what, does he have special extra-super fast reading powers or something?"

Kaz smiled. "Actually, Kerrak... Sora has lost of 'extra special' powers, including the ability to see into the future, but, no. He just reads a lot and really, really fast."

"Don't worry," he heard Riku saying on the other side of the shelf. "...It still kinda freaks us out, too."

"Um, hey." Kerrak turned back to Sora. "Hold these? Thanks!"

Sora shoved a pile of books into Kerrak's hands and began to look at others again. Kerrak looked down. He was holding about 10 books. Kerrak read the titles through and blinked in disbelief. Sora had a mix of fantasy, horror (Dean Koontz books. Freaked Kerrak out) more fantasy books... He was definitely psychotic, Kerrak decided, if he planned to read all these plus the several more he'd just pulled off the shelf.

"Bone Doll's Twin, Dark Rivers of the Heart, , Ghosts in the Snow...? Sora, you're... you've got interesting taste."

"I know," Sora said. He dropped four more books into Kerrak's arms. "Thanks again."

Sora moved to the shelf where Kaz was standing. The two spoke for a moment but then Sora became absorbed in the blurb on the back of a deep purple book. He thought for a moment, looked at another black book and then dropped the two copies into Kerrak's hands. Sora smiled sweetly (and obviously in a fake manner) at Kerrak as if to say 'Too bad if you don't want to hold them, you have to,' and turned away again. Kaz shot Kerrak a look of fake envy.

"You seem to have taken my place as worthless book-holding lackey," he said dryly.

Kerrak laughed. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's okay," Kaz said. "I never really liked that position anyways. I just hope Sora doesn't make you pay for the books though..."

"Did he ever do that to you?" Kerrak asked worriedly.

"Me? Oh, no... We were always at a library, anyways," Kaz explained.

"Oh... But after awhile, wouldn't he have read all the books in the library? All the good ones, I mean?"

"What? No, way! The Grand Library- that's the one we went to- is huge! It's like, almost the size of this mall!"

Kerrak dropped three of the fourteen books he was holding for Sora.

"Are you serious?" he exclaimed. "A library that big?"

"Oh, yeah... It was great."

Riku rounded the corner as Kaz picked up the books Kerrak had dropped and Sora handed Kaz some more to hold.

"Okay, that's enough books to hold you over for at least three weeks, let's go to Wal-Mart now," Riku said.

"Yeah, whatever," Sora muttered and headed for the cash register.

"Three weeks?" Kerrak asked Kaz dumbfounded. "Wouldn't it be closer to like... Three months?"

"Um, no," Kaz laughed, shaking his head and following Sora.

Sora's books came to a grand total of 143.77 dollars. Kerrak had now officially declared him psychotic.

"Sora, you do now how much money you just spent on books, right? Right?"

"Yep."

Kerrak watched in disbelief as Sora casually headed for the door. Sora occasionally paused but Riku pushed him forwards again. During the short walk to the cash register, Sora had stopped several times to pull another book off the shelf and add it to his pile. Apparently Riku didn't want to risk Sora having to go back in to buy more books.

"Why are we going to Wal-Mart?" Sora was asking, as the four boys left the store and headed directly across the large floor to the Wal-Mart.

"Because," Kaz said, choosing his words carefully. "There's a book section there, if a small one."

"Oh. Okay."

Kerrak tilted his head to the side and watched, smiling, as Kaz grabbed Sora's bag from Chapters and shoved his own bags inside it before handing it back to Kaz. The brunette boy took the now-heavier bag with only a glare at his friend. Kerrak found this, more than anything, really, really interesting. One thing he had learned about both Sora and Riku in the past week, since they'd begun school with him, was that both of them were... Crazy about Kaz, for lack of a better word. They weren't like, really insane, or in love, or obsessed, or anything along those lines. No, no. They were just really devoted friends. It was obvious that they both cared about Kaz a lot. It wasn't hard to see that the blonde was... the _baby _of the group.

Even people who were so close they would finish each other's sentences wouldn't act this way. Even Selphie and Kairi, Kerrak thought. If Kairi shoved her stuff in Selphie's bags, Selphie would flip out and refuse to carry them. That, it seemed, was just how teenagers were. But not these guys... They were different in some way. Of course, Kerrak had known that since they'd first moved in with him. You got an odd sort of feeling when you stood next to one of them- it was exactly the same with Yuna, Sora's little sister. It was like, an... Otherworldly sort of feeling. Like magic, Kerrak thought.

When they'd finished in Wal-Mart, Sora declared that they were going to go eat, of course without asking the others' opinion on this.

"Now... Where's the food court?"

Kerrak couldn't help but laugh at him. "Just follow the giant signs that say, "Food Court this way!"

"Where do you suggest we get food from?" Riku asked Kerrak.

"Oh, I don't know... Where's Sora?"

The three boys began to look around.

"What are you guys doing?"

They looked over to where Sora's voice was coming from. The brunette was standing a little over 20 feet away from them. He took a few steps backwards, not looking over his shoulder to see what was behind him. He crashed into the person behind him and toppled to the floor. Sora and the person both rubbed their heads and looked up to see who they'd bumped into. Kerrak was over there in a flash, but not before a few other people, whom he wasn't too particularly pleased to see.

"Wow!" Kairi laughed as she sat on the floor facing Sora. "Fancy bumping into you here... Literally. Again."

"Heh. Yeah."

"You better get up before he gets here..."

Sora looked up. There stood Ryo and Shuyin, along with Tidus and Wakka, their two roommates.

"Huh?" Sora grabbed up his Wal-Mart bag and stood up. Kairi did the same. Ryo grinned and nodded over Sora's shoulder. Kerrak came to stand beside him before he could look to see who Ryo was talking about. Sora didn't say anything- there really was nothing to say. Kerrak had seen that it was an accident.

"Okay, well. This is awkward enough. It's just going to get more awkward. I'm leaving," Kairi said. "Bye!"

With that, she slowly turned and walked away. She sat at a nearby table with her roommates, Selphie, Lulu and Yuffie. Sora rubbed his hands over his face. "You know she's probably right. We're gonna go, too, before that happens." Sora grabbed Kerrak's arm and began to drag him away. He smiled at Ryo. "Bye."

"I hate him," Kerrak said when they were out of earshot. "Hate him, hate him, hate him."

"Why?" Sora asked. He felt guilty asking it, since he could tell something very personal had passed between Kerrak and Ryo, but he really wanted to know. Kerrak didn't tell him, in any case.

"Just 'cause," he mumbled.

"Okay," was Sora's reply. He didn't want to make Kerrak angry at him all over again.

* * *

Minutes ticked by. Sora sighed and leaned back against the bleachers. The autumn air was cool and crisp, colder than perhaps it should have been for the ending of September.

On the other hand, they _were_ in Canada.

"Hey!" a girly voice chirped, and Sora glanced down to see Kairi climbing up the bleachers. She plopped down next to him, grinning. "How's it?"

"Huh? That must be some weird Canadian slang for 'how are you'?" Sora arched a single eyebrow as Kairi giggled.

"It's not weird... Are you not from Canada? I know Ryo and Cloud both are."

"Er, no. I'm definitely not from Canada."

"Oh, so where are you from?"

Sora blinked. _Well, Kairi, I'm from another dimension of this planet._

"I'm from Hawaii."

"_Ohh,_ Hawaii, I've always wanted to go there. Can't say why, really, I just like the sound of it. Okay, that's not true. I love warm places."

Sora scoffed. "Including your homeland."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Canada isn't cold _all_ the time, Sora."

Wasn't it? Sora didn't know much about the human world, just various things he'd picked up when he had to listen to Riku.

"We have summer, too, you know."

Though she was sitting down, Kairi put her hands on her hips, and Sora had to laugh at the image. "You look ridiculous."

She laughed with him, not offended at all. Clearly she was the type of girl who understood a joke. "Probably."

Sora blinked at the serene expression on her face. "You remind me of... er. Kaz's sister," he finished lamely, finding suddenly that he didn't want to bring Namine up.

"Yeah? Is she nice?"

"Definitely." Sora paused. "Though I can't say she's as cute as you," he added, and Kairi giggled. "But you probably shouldn't tell your brother I said that."

Kairi raised up her hand, and said, "Scout's honour!"

Sora felt his face scrunch up. "What are you _talking _about?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Selphie stood up and climbed over the three others on the couch when none of them would get up to answer the door the their dorm as it was knocked on. "Ow, Selphie! Get off me!" Lulu whined as she awkwardly scrambled over the girl's legs.

"Get off your butt and answer the door then!" Selphie spat back.

"Oh, shut up, you two!" Yuffie said. "I'm trying to watch the movie!"

Yuffie glared at the two and shoved some more popcorn into her already-filled mouth. Selphie couldn't help but giggle as Yuffie began to laugh and spit out some popcorn. Kairi flinched further away from the raven-haired girl, apparently a bit grossed out. Selphie rolled her eyes and clambered over the arm of the sofa and hopped to the floor. Smoothing the creases in her skirt, she crossed the room and pulled open the door. She grinned at the person outside. She couldn't be sure if it was Ryo or Sora- but she would be happy with either. Sora for Kairi's sake because it was obvious the girl had it bad for him -her face had been bright red after bumping into him at the mall earlier that day- and Ryo... Not so much for Kairi's sake.

"Hi!" she greeted warmly.

"Um, hey..." the guy said awkwardly. "It's Sora. I was wondering if.."

"Kairi was here?" Selphie interjected.

"Well, um..." Sora began. "Well. I guess that would be nice but I actually just need to know if Kairi's Wal-Mart bag was here."

Selphie blinked in confusion. She could hear her friends giggling quietly in the background, not so quiet that she couldn't hear them, but probably too quiet for Sora to hear, standing on the other side of the door.

"Kairi's... Wal-Mart bag?" she said slowly. "...Why?"

"Well, because, actually... It's... ah... my Wal-Mart bag. We must have gotten them mixed up when we bumped into each other."

"Oh... I get it. It's like a... 'reach into your bag to pull out whatever you bought but instead come up with panties' sort of situation."

"Um... Well, yeah. Basically."

Selphie smiled as she took the bag with Kairi's stuff in it and left the doorway to switch it with the other bag. She hadn't actually had to voice the part about what kind of situation it was, but seeing how awkward and uncomfortable it made Sora, she figured it was worth it. Just as she thought that, she was struck with a hilarious idea- Kairi had bought 5 pairs of underwear at Wal-Mart. She looked in the bag before picking up the other one and heading back over to where Sora was standing.

"You know," she said, elaborately casual as she handed the bag that belonged to Sora over. "I'm pretty sure Kairi bought 6 pairs of panties the other day. I only see 5 in here." She glanced over- just beyond Sora's sight- and saw her roommates straining not to laugh. "You didn't take any?"

"Uh. No... No, I didn't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm quite sure..."

"Positive?"

"Um, yeah. Quite positive."

"Really positive?"

Sora shifted uncomfortably, obviously a tad freaked out by Selphie's questioning. She almost felt sorry for him but didn't really. It was super funny. There was no time for feeling guilty or sorry during funny moments. Only time for laughing. And at least pretending you weren't laughing.

"Really absolutely positive," Sora answered.

"Well, okay then," Selphie said and slammed shut the door in the face of a very surprised Sora.

She stumbled over to the sofa and began to laugh with her friends as she settled back into her place.

"That was so mean, Selphie!" Yuffie laughed.

"Yeah, good one!" Lulu exclaimed.

"No!" Kairi said. "It wasn't a good one! That was really mean! Poor Sora!"

The three other girls burst into laughter and Yuffie even spit out some soda. "Aw, poor little Sora," Lulu mocked. "Kairi, you have such a big crush on him. Really, it was just a little prank!"

"No, I don't!" Kairi hissed. She jumped up and began to whack Lulu with a pillow. Lulu grabbed another pillow and began fighting back against Kairi's attack. One stray shot eventually found its way to Yuffie's popcorn bowl, knocking it over completely. Yuffie, in an act of 'pure rage' at the demise of her popcorn joined in the pillow fight. Selphie did, too.

Just for the heck of it.

* * *

Sora sighed and plopped down in a chair next to Kerrak and Riku in the front Hall of the school where there were several tables set up. The room was filled with the sound of laughter and chatter as well as the incessant pounding of rain on the windows. Kerrak was sitting on a bench across from Sora and Riku, turned backwards so he was leaning against the table. Riku was carelessly flipping through a magazine.

"Give back Kairi's junk?" Riku asked, turning the page of whatever magazine he was reading. Finding it apparently boring, he casually tossed it on to the table.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Yeah. After 20 questions from Selphie. She thinks I stole some of Kairi's panties."

Across the table, Kerrak spit out Coke all over the back of Ryo who was sitting at the table behind them. Kerrak turned around and hid the Coke can as Ryo spun around angrily. It didn't help, though, because hiding the Coke can didn't hide the vast masses of laughter escaping his mouth.

"Did you just-" Ryo began.

"No!" Kerrak exclaimed, not turning to face Ryo.

"Then why are you laughing?" Ryo demanded.

"Uh... Just at what Sora was say..." Kerrak never finished his sentence, because he couldn't get words out between his laughter anymore.

Surprisingly, Ryo spun around ignoring Kerrak and continued talking with his friends, though he did reach back constantly in attempt to dry himself off a bit.

"That was smooth," Riku said in a monotone voice, raising one eyebrow at Kerrak, who had finally controlled his laughter.

"Yeah... So anyways..." Kerrak chuckled and rolled his eyes. "What were you saying?"

He turned back to Sora.

"Oh, uh..." Sora wasn't so sure he wanted to tell Kerrak anymore. "...Selphie thinks I stole some of Kairi's panties, it would seem."

Kerrak laughed. "She was probably just kidding you. She does that a lot. because she is-" Kerrak raised his voice a bit, probably so Ryo could hear him- "A nasty, nasty girl. Selphie is super mean. She's a bi-"

Ryo spun around once again. "Kerrak."

"What?" Kerrak asked in a sugary sweet voice turning to face Ryo. He was met with a face-full of soda. Kerrak sat still, shocked for a moment but then smiled sardonically and nodded at Ryo, afterwards turning back around to face Sora and Riku again. He wiped off the pop on his face with his sleeve. The doors to the front hall burst open, increasing the sound of the pounding rain. They closed again and, with all eyes on him, in walked a very wet Kaz. He grinned and sloshed over to where they were sitting, falling onto the bench with a squelching sound. Kerrak moved away quickly.

"You're wet," he told Kaz.

"Yes," Kaz said, still smiling. "It's raining."

"Indeed..." Kerrak smiled grimly. "I hate water."

Kaz grinned. "That's nice. I'm going to go get dried off. Later!"

He stood up to leave and rushed out of the Hall. Kerrak turned to look at Sora and Riku with a confused look on his face.

"What was he doing?"

"Probably just running around and dancing in the rain or something. He loves the rain. And any type of water for that matter," Riku said.

"Why? The rain is so... wet!" Kerrak exclaimed, shivering. "I hate water!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sora rolled his eyes, reaching up to move the flower tucked in the strands of his hair. Kairi smacked his hand away with something that was half scowl and half smirk.

"Don't touch it. It looks pretty there."

"No. It looks ridiculous there."

"Well, that too," she said sweetly, doing so much over the top eyelash fluttering that Sora had to laugh. She turned away and Sora seized the moment, yanking the pink blossom away.

"Hey!" Kairi exclaimed, looking back at him and seeing it gone. "Where did you put it? I think that was the last flower in the entire school garden."

Sora paused, glancing down at the crumpled flower, just out of Kairi's line of vision. He bit his lip, looking around the school yard then back down at the flower. He gazed intently at the petals, which started to reform themselves and to regain the colour previously squished out of them.

He held up a flower for Kairi which might have been more perfect than the one she originally gave him. But whatever. Sora hardly cared if he broke a few rules and almost exposed them. He was very quickly finding, especially in moments like this, as he tucked the pink flower into her cerise locks, that other things were much more important.

--

Kerrak stumbled as he was shoved forward while entering the hall for the boys' dorm. He didn't even turn to look at the person, since he already knew who it was.

"Screw off, Ryo," he muttered angrily.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe when you do," Ryo said, his voice over-smug.

Kerrak spun and glared at the boy. There was noone but them in the hall, so it probably wasn't wise to get in a fight, but Ryo was so arrogant, so annoying, it was hard to resist. Ryo smiled at the look on Kerrak's face.

"Tsk, tsk. You wouldn't be mean and try to beat me up?" he mocked. Kerrak pursed his lips. No, even though that's what I should be doing.

"God, Ryo, why can't you jus-"

"Why don't you stop being such a-"

"I'm not being anything, yo-"

Neither of the two was getting anything in edgewise and it basically was just a stupid fight. Eventually, they both found themselves fed up and ended up pushing each other at the same time, landing them both on the floor in a fist-fight. At moments, Ryo seemed to be winning, but that would change, and Kerrak would be left with the advantage.

After several minutes of meaningless sturggle, Ryo had Kerrak pinned underneath him.

"May I ask you something, Kerrak?" Ryo hissed. "If I chose to strangle you right now, what would magic and fairies do to help you?"

Kerrak puffed out his cheeks, ramming his knee into Ryo's gut. He grappled with the brunette over him for a moment and soon found himself on top. "And if I chose to strangle you? What would science do then?"

Ryo glared at Kerrak angrily. "Prove you're the murderer. Send you to jail. That's what science would do."

He shoved Kerrak off and the two boys scrambled to their feet. Though the actual fist-fight was over, the two continued screeching at each other.

Ten minutes, over one hundred accusations, and three more hits later, the two symmetrically stomped their feet on the floor and stalked away from each other, muttering angry curses. Kerrak opened the door to his dorm room and slammed it shut again, glad that he was the only one there. He wasn't sure where Sora, Kaz, and Riku were, but he didn't really care at the time. He slumped onto an armchair, thoughts racing.

"_What would magic and fairies do to help you?"_

Kerrak shook his head in attempt to chase out Ryo's words, but continued failing.

"_Not that mind-reading is even really possible.."_

"_Possible and outside the limitations of science?"_

Kerrak squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to think about this.

"_They don't exist!"_

"_No... It's not!"_

"_When are you going to get over it? They don't exist!"_

Kerrak bit his lip. His memories were going back further now. He didn't want to think about this...

"_You're the one who doesn't understand!"_

"_They're just stupid myths! Why don-"_

"_Don't exist.."_

"_You just don't see how.."_

Kerrak couldn't hold onto the memories now even if he wanted to, they were coming too fast, jumbing together.

"_Why don't yo-"_

"_And I suppose you think-"_

"_Sprites, gnomes, dragons-"_

"_They're not real, don't you se-"_

"_**That's not funny."**_

Kerrak squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Now this he did not want to remember. He covered his head with a pillow and screamed but the memory didn't leave him

"_Come on, Kerrak, I'm serious... That isn't funny. At all."_

"_No, Ryo, I'm not joking. I just-"_

"_Kerrak, look, I don't know what Cloud might've told you, but he obviously stretched the truth. That isn't funny. Could you not talk about stuff like that? Please?"_

"_Ryo what are you talking about? Cloud didn't tell me anything!"_

"_I'm not stupid, you know! He must have told you! This isn't funny! You're supposed to be my best friend. Why are you doing this?"_

"_I **am** you're best friend! I have no clue what you're talking about... And besides, you're supposed to be _my_ best friend! Why can't you listen? This is really important to me!"_

"_Important? Bringing up stuff that I **don't** want to talk about is important to you? Well, that's a great way to treat your best friend!"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

The fight had completely ended their friendship. It had been a major turning point for Kerrak. That had been the moment when he realized that best friends really just couldn't be trusted. They weren't actually there for you, and like hell if they really cared. An enjoyable act until it came crashing down around you. That was all friendship was.

The fight had been over- Well, what else? Magic. Fairytales.

Ever since he was little, since he could remember, Kerrak had kept a strong belief in magic. Stories of dragons and mermaids and angels who flew in he sky or swam in the ocean or dwelled in dark caves always gave him a surge of excitement. There were times when he almost felt magic and power running through his veins. He knew it existed. Not that anyone would listen to him. They always said that they were nice stories, but not true. Certainly not true.

Ryo had been his best friend. Kerrak had hoped that he would maybe listen to him. Obviously there was a chance that Ryo would say he was being stupid, but Kerrak hadn't expected him to get totally angry at him like that. He hadn't even known what Ryo was talking about. Kerrak hardly ever talked to Cloud, let alone listen to stupid secrets that Cloud might know about.

But, Ryo got angry and he didn't listen. He wouldn't even give Kerrak a chance to let a word in at all. He wouldn't let him tell Ryo what had happened...

Kerrak had been walking. Just through the park, thinking. And he saw this thing, in the sky. It bolted across and flew into the cover of the trees. It had wings so Kerrak figured it must be an animal of some sort, but it was far too small for a bird. It flew again, shooting straight into the air as he watched the spot it had disappeared to. It vanished amongst the clouds, and as Kerrak stared up at the spot, something began to drift slowly downward. It was a feather, and it landed right at Kerrak's feet.

It wasn't like a feather from a bird. It shone and sparkled as he picked it up and sent a wave of... He didn't know what over him. It was the purest of white, like the wings of an angel were always described. Kerrak had seen so many things he could label as magical creatures before- a girl who swam in the ocean past a cruise ship and disappeared with the splash of a fin, people only inches high who danced in gardens and great shadows that flew overhead large forests disappearing into the trees with a rush as if to head back to a cave filled with treasure left unguarded for too long.

But this... This had been the first time Kerrak had been left with proof of what he'd seen. He was positive that if Ryo had just listened, just seen what Kerrak had, he would've understood. But apparently, Ryo wasn't the kind of person to listen to others.

Not even if that other person was his best friend. Not even if that other person had spent hours of his time listening to Ryo and hearing what he'd thought. Not even if that other person always stuck up for him, even when they knew how wrong he was...

Kerrak groaned and placed his head in his hands. It was obvious that Ryo was a bad friend... Did he even care about Ryo anymore? Really?

Part of him was too scared to answer.

The other part didn't even know what the answer to that was.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ryo bit his lip as he watched Selphie talking to Riku across the floor. They had been at the Devil's Floor for hours and apparently Riku, Kaz, and Kerrak wouldn't be going back until really late. While it was true that Ryo did like Kaz, and Riku was... Okay, this was not welcome information. Every time he looked across to where Riku and Selphie were his stomach did an odd sort of flip flop. He assured himself that it was whatever he'd eaten, but part of him knew the truth.

Someone plopped down on the bar stool next to him. It took him a moment to realize it was Kerrak. He almost said something nasty and spiteful to the boy, but Kerrak spoke first.

"If you like her... You should just tell her!"

Ryo watched Kerrak for a moment, then turned back to Selphie, then to Kerrak. He couldn't help but smile. Kerrak was very observant.

Even when he was totally piss-drunk.

"Need some help sitting up?" Ryo asked as Kerrak tottered on his seat.

"No! No, course not..." Kerrak turned around to look at Selphie. He apparently saw Riku because he said, "So that's why you won't tell her!" Then, after a moment's pause, "I can distract him if you want."

Ryo considered this. Kerrak wouldn't help him if he were sober, that was for sure. He wouldn't even talk to Ryo. But perhaps, he should accept the offer and take advantage of this drunkenness.

"Sure," he said. "Just go stumble in front of them, I'm sure that would do."

Ryo had meant the last part as a joke, but Kerrak did it anyways, shrugging and half-falling, half-walking over to Riku and Selphie. He fell at their feet, catching their attention (although Ryo wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not). Riku helped him up and after saying something to Selphie disappeared into the crowd with the drunk teen. Ryo looked down at his lap. Great. Now that this was done, he really didn't even have enough courage to say anything to Selphie. Although it was pretty funny watching Kerrak stumble across the floor like that. Ryo looked up and was surprised to see the reason for all this right in front of him.

She hopped up onto the stool that Kerrak had just been on laughing.

"Oh my God, did you see Kerrak? He's so drunk!"

Ryo forced a smile. "Yeah, I saw."

Selphie seemed to notice that something was wrong. "Hey, are you all right? What are you doing alone over here, anyways... Shuyin and all the rest of your 'posse' are over there!"

She gestured across the large room.

Did she just use the word posse? ...Whatever.

Ryo looked back into his lap. "I'm fine. I just, uh... I don't know. Just sitting alone."

Selphie smiled at him in what seemed like a reassuring manner, though he didn't need any assuring of anything. "Well, I hope you don't wanna stay alone for too long. I'm almost too tired to dance, now."

With that, she leaned over and kissed his cheek, then jumped down and blended into the people around them. Ryo grinned. At least one good thing had happened.  
"Hey, it worked!" Ryo looked over to where Kerrak was suddenly standing next to him. Despite how much of a jerk the guy usually was, he was okay when he was drunk. For tonight.

Kerrak hauled himself onto the stool, almost ordered a drink, but Ryo took it upon himself to stop the boy.

Ryo didn't like Kerrak, but really, he was a sensible person and he wasn't going to let him get alcohol poisoning. Especially not at this club! If the police found out they were selling alcohol to minors they would be closed down. Now, that would suck. Besides, Kerrak wouldn't even remember that it had happened the next morning, so it wouldn't matter anyways. Ryo kept trying to veer Kerrak off the topic of ordering a drink, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Hey, check it out!" Kerrak exclaimed eventually. "It's that new kid..."

Ryo turned around and looked in the direction Kerrak was pointing. Across the room, the new student at their school was talking with Shuyin and Wakka. His name was something like Demyx, or... something like that. It was a weird name. Ryo didn't really care. Shuyin seemed to like the guy, and Shuyin was Ryo's best friend so he was polite to Demyx... or... Devyx, but honestly, Ryo kind of hated him. Just a little.

"Oh, joy," he said bitterly.

"Jealous?" Kerrak piped up.

Ryo turned to look at him. "Pardon?"

"Well, he's hanging out with your best friend, who, since that dude moved in has been hanging out with you less, and all... it's kinda just..."

Kerrak passed out.

Ryo sighed and dragged the boy out to his car- Kerrak's car. Or, actually, Kerrak's brother's car. He figured that Riku or Kaz or someone could drive him back later. After some consideration, Ryo took the keys from Kerrak's pocket. He probably shouldn't take the risk of Kerrak waking up and driving.

Ryo sighed. He didn't really want to go back in the club, not after Kerrak's comment on whether or not he was jealous. Shifting uncomfortably on his feet, Ryo finally sat down and waited until the others were ready to go.

* * *

"Sora, you are such a party pooper."

Sora rolled his eyes and looked over at Kairi, who was being anything but... suitable. A good way to describe how she was being, however, would be extremely provocative and outrageously inappropriate.

"Sora..."

Kairi plopped down on the sofa and leaned over until she was nearly on top of him. "Relax," she whispered, and he wasn't entirely sure why, -it probably had something to do with her wide blue eyes- but he did.

* * *

Sora jumped as the door burst open and Kerrak stumbled in, obviously drunk. Sora remembered the comment he'd made on humans' problems with alcohol the first day his father had told him of their mother. He hadn't been too far off. Kerrak collapsed onto the seat by the window and jumped himself when it began to rain. Kaz immediately rushed over to watch the water pour down from the skies. Sora headed over and watched too, just to calm himself.

Then the lightning started. Kaz jumped up with a shriek and got away from the window. He wasn't too fond of lightning.

"Lightning is cool," Kerrak said absent-mindedly, still watching.

"Why do you say that?" Kaz grumbled from across the room.

Kerrak shrugged. "It just looks cool, is all. I would never actually run around during a lightning storm or something like that. It just looks cool."

"Yes, well, at least you're not completely retarded then." Kaz again.

Sora smiled. "Yeah, lightning is just great."

Provided it kept Kerrak off the topic of Kairi, Sora could talk about lightning all night long.  



	16. Chapter 16

_Sora's thoughts_

_Kaz's thoughts_

Riku's thoughts

Chapter 16

Ryo sighed and let his head flop to the large desk he was sitting at. He didn't even know why he had signed up for this class. Thinking back, he remembered that it was so he could totally piss the teacher off by pointing out scientific flaws in every legend he talked about. Ryo groaned and looked up at the teacher. Mythology was such a lame class. Even if it meant he got to annoy the teacher- and Kerrak- it really wasn't worth sitting through this. Ryo looked to the other end of the table to where Sora was sitting. The mythology teacher, Mr.Vanderhal, thought that sitting the students in groups promoted socialism or something like that. Ryo was stuck in a group with- the teacher had assigned seats- Sora and two other guys whom he really didn't care about and really didn't know.

Ryo smiled and almost laughed as Sora leaned back in his seat, pretending to yawn. He stretched his arms over his head and dropped a small piece of paper into the lap of Riku, sitting behind him at the next table. The silver-haired boy somehow wrapped the note around the pencil so it stayed and then checked to make sure the teacher wasn't watching. Riku shifted in his seat a bit, tapping his pencil on the table. His taps became more and more frantic until eventually the pencil flew from his hand. Across the room, Kaz pretended to reach down to tie his shoe but then hastily reached over to grab the 'dropped' writing utencil. Kaz unfastened the note and then wagged the pencil at Riku, who grinned. Aiming the pencil like a dart, Kaz prepared to throw. After a quick glance in Mr.Vanderhal's direction, he let loose and the pencil flew, landing on the table directly in front of Riku. Ryo watched in disbelief. How could someone aim that well?

Sora must have sensed what Ryo was thinking because he raised his eyebrows in a "we-are-mysterious" way. Ryo smiled at Sora, and said quietly, "You guys are some experts at that, huh?"

Sora scoffed. "At passing notes? Oh, yeah. Talk about talent."

Ryo laughed but had to cover his mouth because the teacher was now glaring at him and Sora.When Mr.Vanderhal finally looked away and continued on with his leture, Sora just raised his eyebrows again and then looked down as Riku dropped a return-note into his lap.

Sora grinned as he read the note Riku had passed him. Both Kaz and Riku had written on it, Kaz scrawling how it was much more fun to be sneaky like this than it was to simply telepathically communicate. Sora agreed. There was much more satisfaction in knowing that you were outsmarting a teacher and not listening to them than there was in knowing that you were simply not listening to them. Riku had simply written, "I thought the legend of Lear du Lac had a sad ending? Like you know... Didn't the guy die?" Sora pursed his lips and listened for a moment to Mr.Vanderhal's speech.

Wow, he thought, upon hearing the human take on the legend. What retards.

_Tell me about it_, came Kaz's voice, though only in his head rather than aloud.

So bored...

It was Riku that time. Sora smiled and crumpled the paper in his hand.

_This class is getting lame... Wanna piss the teacher off by pointing out flaws in his version of the legend?_

_You know that is the only reason Ryo joined this class?_

To piss the teacher off?

_Been breaking into his thoughts then, Kaz?_

_Uh, no... Actually, Kerrak told me. He's asleep behind his text book, you know._

Sora felt his stomach flip at the mention of the black-haired boy. He still had some issues to work out with Kerrak, most of them, or actually, all of them having to do with Kairi. Riku and Kaz, however, continued talking without a care in the world about Kerrak's red-headed little sister.

I thought he liked this class.

_He says this particular day of class is just really boring... Anyways, I'm totally willing to take up that offer of pissing off the teacher._

Yeah, me too.

Sora grinned and listened more intently to what Mr.Vanderhal was saying. He was absolutely shocked after listening for just a few minutes, and he could tell that Riku and Kaz were, too. The mistakes he was hearing had to be on account of the teacher's stupidity, not all people, he decided. These could be noticed by even an idiot! And surely there had to be some human archeologists studying this sort of thing. How could they not have noticed!

"Mr.Vanderhal!" Kaz suddenly exclaimed. "How old are these text books? There are so many mistakes in this legend. Surely some researchers must have realized this by now! Especially that radically big one involving..."

Sora grinned and shut his eyes. This wouldn't be such a bring class, after all. He wasn't sure how he knew, since he didn't exercise any powers at all, but Ryo was thinking the exact same thing.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When Sora woke up the next morning, the thunder storm had stopped (much to Kaz's joy) and another storm had begun. (Much to Riku's dismay.)

A snow storm. Sora jumped up and shrieked in happiness. After pulling on his clothes he rushed downstairs. He was about to go outside when someone behind him reminded him that there were classes, also that he was not dressed appropriately to go out in the cold. Sora turned around.

"Ryo," he said to his brother, who was sitting at a table nearby, "I am dressed perfectly fine for the cold and there are no classes today."

"Yeah, I know," Ryo said. "I just needed to get your attention. What are you doing? It's freezing outside."

Sora shrugged and ran out the doors, jumping in a snowbank. "Oh my God," he heard Ryo saying behind him, accompanied by a, "Wha-? He is crazy!" from someone who he thought sounded like Kerrak.

Kaz laughed, and agreed before coming outside with Sora himself. He didn't mind the cold at all. Riku, however, stayed inside, muttering about how stupid the two were. After a few minutes, Kerrak came out, too, although wearing a jacket. He had only come out to tell the others to came back in.

"You guys... It's cold... And you are rolling around in the snow without jackets! You are going to die of hypothermia! Or... I dunno, something like that."

Sora laughed and ducked out of the path of a snowball Kaz had just thrown at him.

"Doubtful," he said to Kerrak. "We're not gonna die!"

Kaz grabbed Kerrak by the ankle and pulled him into the snowbank. Inside, Sora heard Ryo burst into laughter at Kerrak's shriek. Sora and Kaz rained on the boy with snowballs and he just kept screaming at them. Eventually, he got away from them and was standing, soaking wet, on the school steps.

"That... Was not... Funny," he panted.

Sora smiled. "Yes, it was."

He and Kaz had to cover their mouth to stop from laughing. Suddenly Kerrak went very pale and his hand flew to his neck.

"Where..? Eep! My necklace!"

Kerrak dove into the snowpile and began shoving around the white powder.

"Your... necklace?" Kaz repeated.

"It's gone!" Kerrak shouted.

After exchanging glances, Sora and Kaz began digging about in the snow.

"No, it's not over there!" Kerrak spat. "It's over here!"

He gestured to where he was searching. "Uh-huh. And just how do you know that?" Sora asked.

"I just know!"

Sora and Kaz joined Kerrak in searching for the necklace at its apparent location. Eventually, Kaz held up a snowcovered chain with a yellow gem hanging on the end. "This it?" he asked, passing it to Kerrak, who grabbed it away.

Kaz pulled his hand away. "Man, you _must_ have hypothermia," he joked. "Or whichever one it is that makes you feel all cold then feel over-heated, 'cause your skin is like, really hot!"

He rubbed his hand. Sora ignored Kaz's comment and stared at Kerrak's necklace, now fastened around his neck. He thought he recognized the gem from somewhere. Although he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Kerrak jumped up, shocking Sora out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, you know I am pretty cold, let's go inside!"

The three boys headed in the school, laughing.

Sora completely forgot about the necklace.

Sora laughed as Kaz continued to poke Riku, who was doing his best to ingore the blonde. Eventually, the silver-haired boy had had enough.

"Would you quit!"

Kaz began to pout. "You didn't need to yell!" He pretended to cry. Riku hunched his shoulders in annoyance.

Kairi sat down beside them, giving the two other boys an odd look. Sora sighed. He looked around until he saw Kerrak halfway across the room. Kerrak was frantically rubbing his necklace over and over again with kleenex or napkins or something. Apparently, he really didn't want it rusting. Sora turned his head back to the group of three he was sitting with as Kaz said, "Like that song..."

"Oh my God!" Kairi suddenly exclaimed. "You know what that reminds me of!"

Sora had no clue what that reminded her of. He hadn't been listening.

"That song by Nin Inch Nails... Closer, I think it's called. Ryo and Kerrak both hate that song... It's like, the only thing they can agree on. Because once, they were at a club, and this old man got up and sang that song karaoke-style, and he was all dressed in leather, and when he finished, he went over to them and said that song was dedicated to them, and then he hit on them! But, uh... Then our brother and Cloud came, so they kind of made the old man leave Kerrak and Ryo alone. It was funny, though."

Sora smiled. "Where is your brother?"

"Sael? He's um.. Well, he got some chick pregnant over summer vacation and didn't find out she was pregnant till he was already here, so he had to leave. He's taking school back home now. He left his car, too, which is pretty sweet."

Sora nodded. "Ah, I see..."

Looking back at Kaz and Riku, he couldn't help but laugh. Humans... Alcoholic, teens pregnant, weird old pedophiles. And all just with one group of kids. What else could happen?

* * *

Sora sighed as Kerrak and Ryo fought. Or rather, as Ryo fought with Kerrak, who didn't seem to be replying with his usual conviction. somehow, Kerrak's attitude towards Ryo seemed to have changed from angry all the time, to oddly meek. Sora was sitting between them, and his head was beginning to hurt. 

"Could you two quit for five minutes?" he exclaimed.

Kerrak shrugged. "Whatever."

Ryo just gave Sora a blank look. Sora sighed and relaxed as the people around him talked casually. Three minutes later, Sora flinched as Ryo snapped at Kerrak, who 'hmphed' in return, causing Sora's twin to retaliate with a nasty comment.Sora sighed as the two fought and his head began to pound louder.

Abruptly, he stood up and the fighting ceased. "My head hurts," he said, before leaving to stumble out of the room.

He knew that the people he'd left behind were probably still looking as he closed the doors to the hall behind him, and Kerrak and Ryo had probably begun fighting. Again. Sora stopped and rested against a locker before continuing on. When he finally reached their dormroom, all he could do was flop down on his bed and try to sleep. It didn't really help his headache, which was, in fact, getting worse, but he was too lazy to do anything else.

After what seemed like... well, minutes, the door was pushed open and in came Kerrak, mumbling about a headache of his own. Sora remembered the drunken stupor in which the teen had been in the night before.

He doubted Kerrak had a headache for the same reason as him.

Sora sighed and rolled over. He should tell Kerrak about Kairi. Maybe. Well. No...

Yes. Another sigh.

Sora sat up.

"Kerrak?"

"Shut the fuck up, my head hurts."

Sora decided to keep it simple.

"Kay. I almost seduced your sister. Like, 7 times."

Silence. Kerrak spoke.

"Um."

Sora waited. After a short period of quiet, Kerrak spoke again.

"Um."

"Kay...?"

Sora had been waiting for Kerrak to jump up and throw a punch (like he so often did with Ryo) but was beginning to doubt that would happen.

"Don't you even care?"

"Well... Um. Remember what Ryo said a little while ago about Kairi being all making out with someone and she was really drunk... He called her a slut, I think?"

"Yeah, and that matters to you, why?" Sora scoffed. Now Kerrak was listening to Ryo. That was an interesting change.

"Well, supposing he was telling the truth, then there's probably not much I can do about Kairi, and if you're telling the truth, then she probably really is a slut."

Sora laughed. "'Cause you'd have to be a total whore to even get _close _to me, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"That was hurtful."

"I don't care. Got anything I could use for a headache?"

Kerrak turned to look at Sora from where he was standing. His hand flew instinctively to his neck, as if checking to see that his necklace was still there after the snow incident.

"No, I do-"

"Actually, never mind. I feel better now."

Sora blinked. "That's... Really weird."

Kerrak shrugged. "Oh, well..."

Sora touched his hand to his head and laid back down. Kerrak turned to leave the room, but stopped with his hand hovering over the doorknob.

"If you get her pregnant, though, you're dead."

"Well, I didn't _sleep_ with her..."

"Oh and hey don't forget, tomorrow our Mythology class is going on that like, retarded trip to a museum. Because of you and Kaz and Riku being jack asses."

Sora grunted. "Heh, oh yeah..." as Kerrak finally left.

Because Kaz, Riku and Sora had taken it upon themselves to point out every flaw in anything they found, the teacher (whose name Sora had forgotten) decided they should go to a mythology museum so they could learn to respect the retarded legends and whatever the hell else was going on in that class.

Sora blinked. Sitting up, he looked back upon everything that had happened to him in the past few weeks. He was doing and becoming exactly what he hated.

He was acting totally, completely _human_. What sort of angel calls all the old legends retarded?

Sitting alone in his dorm room with only the radio, left on that morning by Riku, breaking the silence, Sora added his own contribution to the noise, barely above a whisper.

"Fuck..."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

When Sora finally clued in to what exactly had made Kairi, who seemed like a normal enough girl, act so provocative, he almost ended up laughing aloud. He could remember suttubg in his room back home, carefully turning the brittle pages of dusty old tomes on Black magic he'd found hidden around his house. He'd skimmed mostly, but whenever the words, 'Dark Angels' appeared, often in a bold and italic print, he would read the entire section. The chapter on 'Coercing Charms' had ended up being completely read, all the way through.

While most angels were known to be charming in nature, the only angels that actually had natural charming abilities were, in fact, the Dark Angels. Sora had to disagree with this. Kaz's older brother Kay seemed to be able to smile and almost flirt his way through anything, but it dimly occurred to Sora that this might have something to do with him being really really good-looking.

Sora wondered if he actually had to try in order to get his Charms to work, because he certainly couldn't remember doing anything special with Kairi. He remembered Kerrak's not-so-angry reaction to learning what Sora had been doing with his sister earlier in the day and realized it was highly possible he's used them on him as well.

At that moment, Sora sat on the armchair in front of the dorm room window and tried to figure it all out.

It was hard to say. Black magic apparently came freely in many ways to Sora, Kaz, Riku and whomever that fourth person may be. He knew elemental magic could be triggered simply through emotions sometimes, and no other angels could access them without great expenditures of energy. Then there was the 'Coercing Charms.' There were also those bizarre gems that Sora knew tied into their elemental magic though he couldn't discern how, since they were kept in their parents' possession at all times.

Kaz's was a dark blue that sometimes shifted into greens and turquoise, like the ocean when the Sun hit its' waves at a certain angle. His elegant mother wore it around her neck on a gold chain. When he was little, and his mother picked him up, he sometimes would reach for it, attracted by the colours and his mother would swat his hand away, scolding him.

Riku's was orange and red, like a crackling summer blaze of flames. His father had gotten a large chandelier custom-made, with the glittering jewel in the middle amidst amber and diamonds. Riku had never tried to take it, but he often found himself stopping to stare at it, mesmerized by the way the light filtering in through the expansive ceiling windows above reflected off it.

Sora's was white. Nothing special, or anything, just white, though he did find that it glittered almost every colour at the right angle, like crusted snow in the Sunlight. His father kept it in a display case in his study, always in plain view, seemingly unguarded but Sora was perfectly aware that touching the case would activate some fire-machine type thing.

He'd learned that the hard way.

He was often under the impression that it was there to mock him. Something about the gem held Sora under a bizarre sort of sway; he felt desperate to be able to touch the glittering jewel, ut the first few brushes with the 'safety' purposed flames made him too scared to try.

Sora was rather positive that his father disliked him. He wasn't mean or anything- he was a good parent. But something about the way he told Sora that he should know better than to try and take the gem off his desk rather than comforting him irked him. After all, Sora was only 4 years old and was crying after a brush with flames he had set up. Most parents would probably comfort their children in that situation. In fact, his only memory of his mother was of her picking him up to soothe him at the age of about one year, after a nasty burn from the defense system.

It never occurred to Sora that this meant their mother had actually been in their house.

Funny how he had that one memory of her but none of Ryo or Cloud. Sora thought it slightly odd that they seemed to have no powers of their own, especially with Ryo being Sora's twin, as it were.

Sora kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs onto the chair with him. Yawning, he squirmed and tried to situate himself in a comfortable position. Kerrak, Riku and Kaz were at the Devil's Dance Floor, as they were almost every night. He was pretty sure that Ryo and Shuyin had gone as well, along with some of their other friends, including that new kid. What was his name? Devyx or something like that. He looked at the clock. It was eight, which meant that they should be back in about an hour, since it was a school night. Sora thought their field trip to the mythology museum was tomorrow as well but he couldn't really remember. Though it was early his eyelids began to drop and he almost nodded off.

Almost.

He didn't quite because for some reason beyond his comprehension, his tiredness was suddenly pushed aside by an extreme anger. Sora dimly realized that he still felt sleepy after the initial shock In fact, this anger didn't even seem like his own emotion, but he still felt as it shifted from rage to frustration.

Then, without warning or reason, he began to cry.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  


Sora wasn't entirely positive why he found himself banging on the door of his twin's dorm room, demanding to be let in. He wasn't even sure whether or not Ryo was there.

Sora pulled his hand away as a clearly distraught Ryo opened the door. Through tears, he asked what Sora wanted. Sora didn't answer but instead let himself in, closing the door behind him and walked to the nearest bed. He sat and motioned for Ryo to join him.

Flushed and clearly embarrassed, Ryo wiped his tears on his shirt sleeve and sat on the edge of the bed next to his brother.

"What's wrong?"

Ryo shook his head. "Nothing," he answered sniffing. "What do you want?"

He turned his head away so Sora couldn't see his face. Then, awkwardly, he began picking at a loose thread on the blanket.

Sora shrugged. "I came to see what was wrong."

Ryo turned his head sharply and his eyes narrowed slightly. Sora winced, realizing his mistake.

"Someone... told me hat you'd left early." He fumbled with his lie. "I just figured..."

Ryo scoffed, believing him, and continued pulling the string.

"Surprised they noticed I was gone," he muttered.

Sora wasn't quite sure what to say to this and an awkward silence settled over the two. The only sounds were Ryo's occasional sniffling and the brushing of skin on skin as he put his hand to his cheek to stop crystalline tears from running down his face, accompanied by the persistent plucking at the thread.

Well, Sora didn't really like the way that everything was quiet even though there was clearly so much to be said so he prompted his brother, since he obviously wouldn't be speaking of his own accord.

"What's with you and Kerrak?"

Ryo's head spun around and Sora grimaced inwardly when he saw the anger in his expression. Sora bit his lip, racking his brain for some redeeming phrase to save him from the invaded-privacy look hat was fogging up his twin's blue eyes. Sora's own mind must have been fogged over, too, because he could think of nothing. He didn't need one anyways, though, because, apparently seeing that Sora meant no harm in the question, Ryo's look softened.

He shrugged. "We were friends, now we're not."

"Well, obviously," Sora said, and flinched when he saw the hurt look returning to Ryo's face. He sighed. "I just mean... Why? What happened?"

Ryo began picking at the string again.

"I..." He looked at Sora, clearly trying to think of the right words. "When I was little," he began hesitantly, "Our grandmother- on Mom's side- always told me.. Fairy tales, you know? With the magic and dragons and whatnot, and then..." Ryo took a deep breath. "Well, I guess as I got older I realized that all that stuff didn't really exist, and it was kind of... a sensitive subject for me." Something was being left out, but Sora didn't push it.

"So one day, Kerrak and I were sitting in our dorm and we'd... kinda been fighting all week... over stupid stuff, y'know, nothing important...But, yeah, then he pulls out this stupid, ih... _thing_ and says he's totally convinced it's magic. It was so... He was clearly doing it to bother me, and-"

"He was?"

"_Yes._ He was angry at me all week and then suddenly he starts being all friendly and _just so happens_ to bring up a topic I hate discussing? How coincidental."

Ryo's words had become gilt with anger, and, Sora noted, a subtle hint of sadness.

"Maybe he didn't know-"

"Oh, no, he knew," Ryo said furiously. "I don't know _how_ he knew, but he did and he just... What an _ass._"

"Well, seriously, though, don't you think it's possible that-"

"_No_."

Another awkward silence filled the air but this time Ryo did not cry or pull at any string. He simply crossed his arms, angry at the entire world, it seemed.

"Why are you always on his side?" Ryo finally asked coldly.

"Huh? Wh... I'm not!" Sora began to protest but Ryo cut him off.

"Yes, you are. You've taken his side every time there's been an argument since you've gotten here."

Ryo's words did not come out angry and harsh but instead in racking sobs as he once again began to cry. He stood up, tears snaking in silver trails down his cheeks and, pulling at his hair in frustration, muttered something incomprehensible. Sora couldn't make it out but he caught the words, "no one," and he had a feeling it wasn't all too good.

Ryo turned away and Sora jumped to his feet, putting his hands on his twin's shoulders.

"No... That's not true. I haven't _always_ sided with him."

Ryo shrugged Sora's hands off and crossed the room, sitting in the window seat to watch the rain outside rather than talk to his brother. Sora felt the same odd feelings come over him that did in his dorm and he realized that he was right in thinking they weren't his because the emotions he felt then clearly matched the expression on Ryo's face.

Turning around to stumble from the room, Sora closed his eyes and tried to ignore the swarm of emotions coming upon him. He shook his head, though he was fully aware that it would do nothing to help. Then, the flashback. Feelings he could handle, as he stumbled in an almost drunken manner down the hall, but the memories took him by surprise.

His first was of an old woman telling him stories of princesses and princes, magic and dragons... Her gestures and words were so full of like it made her stories seem as if they were real, and not just make-believe. It was difficult for him to accept that these were _Ryo's_ memories and not his; it all seemed so real. The next image of the old woman was different. The lid of a coffin was being closed on her worn and sallow face. She was no longer teeming with life, overflowing with tales of excitement and adventure: it was just the opposite. Sora shook and trembled with sadness when he realized that he would never again smell her aged woman and cinnamon scent as she pulled him into her lap and murmured in her husky voice, "Let me tell you a story..."

He was suddenly aware that this was what had turned Ryo off to magic. He sank against the wall, not able to stand under the pressure of the relived moments.

Then he was in grade three and didn't quite want to make friends with any of his classmates; he was a loner until his teacher forced him to interact with the other kids. Grade 6 and no one would talk to him because of a nasty rumor spread by someone he used to be close to. In grade 8, a supposed friend trusted with his combination slipped illegal substances into his locker. Grounded and yelled at by his parents, questioned by the police, and avoided by his peers, _miserable_.

Sora's next stolen memory was all too expected. He bickered with Kerrak, sometimes not even sure why until one day when the friendship simply died and crumbled away. Sora expected this to be the last display in _Ryo's Museum of Sorrows_. He was wrong.

All his friends had their backs turned on him next, concerned as they were with the new kid. He was at the Dance Floor. It wasn't hard for Sora to realize that this latest event had taken place that very night.

And finally was himself, Sora, stating harshly that 'maybe he didn't know...' Tears threatening to explode, Sora remembered from Ryo's point of view trying to express all this and more in a few short words to the one person he had left, only to have it blow up in his face.

Racked with guilt, Sora managed to climb to his feet, the mental slide show having ended, but there was still one thing he couldn't forget- his voice, cold and detached siding once again with anyone other than the one who needed him most.

"_Maybe he didn't _know..._"_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Sora was caught a bit off-guard by the sudden realization of the similarities between his and Kaz's family. They were pretty much exactly the same. Sora and Kaz were one similarity. And Yuna was like Namine.

His mind went briefly off-track when he thought of Namine and his eyes wandered to where Kairi was standing, actually listening to the boring museum curator.

Cloud, whom he'd had a total of three conversations with since he'd met him, was probably only a few months younger than Kaz's older brother Kay.

And Ryo... Ryo was Roxas.

Sora pursed his lips. For reasons, he couldn't quite explain, _or_ identify, he really really, desperately disliked Kaz's twin. Roxas was a tiny bit of a loner. He wasn't disliked by a lot or anything. In fact, there were very many people that liked him. Sora was not one of them

Sora blinked and corrected himself. There were lots of _angels_ that liked Roxas.

It was simply a matter of Roxas not liking them back. He liked Kaz. That was about it. Sora briefly wondered what Roxas was doing without his _precious little brother_. Hmph. Little by 5 minutes, but Roxas still treated Kaz like a kid. Kaz didn't mind.

Sora did.

Sora absolutely despised Roxas. The only people Sora had ever disliked this much other than Roxas were... The Murphy girls.

Sora frowned. Lisa and Laurie Murphy. They were twins, too. He'd always told himself that he hated them because they were annoying. He was beginning to seriously doubt the validity of that claim.

Sora dimly registered that he's hated Kaz, too, when he first met him. In fact, he still sometimes got angry at Kaz when he saw him being close with Roxas.

Looking over at Ryo, who was standing alone with his arms crossed, apparently not ready to trust anyone after his confrontation with Sora the night before, he realized, blushing that a lot of the hate he directed towards other twins sometimes felt a lot like jealousy. Sora almost slipped into a reverie of how ridiculous he had been but the museum curator caught his attention.

"The legend of the 4 Dark angels is a bit of an odd one. Supposedly they each controlled an element."

Sora looked around the room. Riku and Kaz were focused entirely on the speech, unsurprisingly. Ryo didn't seem to care. Kairi and Selphie were listening, but they didn't seem to be making a real point of it. Sora hadn't even realized they were _in_ his mythology class. Kerrak was paying rapt attention, and Sora was willing to bet he had been the whole time they were there. He was probably the only one aside from the teacher and the curator that cared about what was being said.

Earlier, Riku had almost knocked over some priceless antique vases. Actually, he _had _knocked them over. Kaz had just managed to catch them before they hit the floor. Sora had tripped and fallen directly through the velvet ropes cutting people off from some ancient sarcophaguses, crashing into one. Kaz had rushed to his side and somehow stopped that from falling over, too. Kerrak was clearly very appalled at Sora and Riku's disregard for the property, as was the curator. He'd gotten especially angry when Riku and Sora had gotten in a fight and Riku had been chasing Sora through a maze of totem poles. If they'd knocked one of them over, it probably would have taken 27 Kaz's to stop any damage from being done, taking into account that one would've hit another and then one would've knocked another down...

Sora sighed and then cocked his head to the side, listening when he heard the curator saying, "Each of them had 'doubles,' as they were called..."

Sora had never heard this part of the legend before. Judging by the look on Riku and Kaz's faces, they hadn't either. He listened.

Then his hearing went.

Sora looked around wildly and saw Kaz and Riku doing the same thing. He glanced at a young girl standing next to him. Tried to read her mind.

Nothing.

He realized with a start that someone was stopping him from hearing what was being said. He looked back to Kaz and Riku, trying to send them some message. He sighed in relief when it worked.

_What's going on?_ Kaz was asking frantically. _Oh my God, what the hell?_

He was clearly going to get emotional if he wasn't calmed down.

_Someone's uh... Controlling our powers, I guess..._

It was a pretty lame form of comfort but Sora figured it would have to do.

How can they control _natural_ power, there, retard?

Sora wanted to tell Riku to go screw himself but he didn't get the chance because Kaz was still rather upset.

_What about our hearing?_

Well, that's a simple spell, really...

_They must have something that... encompasses... our abilities, I guess._

Sora paused. Thought about what he'd just said. And realized who was doing it.


	21. Chapter 21

**WARNING WARNING GO BACK**  
Several chapters have been replaced. A lot of things have been changed. you don't need to go back probably, and even so you'd really only have to go back to like, 17, maybe. but you might want to.

i'm finally updating because i was flipping through old stuff and remembered this fanfic account-- note the use of the word old. i have a new account now. sir shortstuff-- and noticed that this story had 20 people with it on alerts. now, looking back through the story, all i could really think was "wha...? but it's so bad!" but, since that many people have it on alerts-- i guess i'll continue it anyways. 4 more chapters and the story is done.

then, maybe, i'll write a sequel-- and here's the thing: if i do, it will be WAY better written than this story-- trust me.

Chapter 21

"We have to go home," Sora told Yuna from a payphone.

"Huh? Why? I like it here!"

"Something's going on. We're going home. Could you get in contact with someone? I don't know how to get back..."

"Fine."

"Yuna?"

"What?"

"Be ready. Have your stuff all together. We're going the first opportunity we get."

Sora, Riku, and Kaz packed using magic, which they found had been returned– to some minor extent. When Kerrak got back, they made _Kaz_ tell him they were leaving.

"Why?"

"You're closest to him, you tell him."

"But... I'll do something stupid... Like cry."

Sora and Riku were both perfectly aware of this.

Kerrak didn't say anything until the other two had left, Kaz sobbing and Riku comforting, flashing a smile to Sora over his shoulder while the brunette walked out behind them, surpressing laughter.

"Sora?"

"Yeah?"

There was a moment of quiet between them until Kerrak whispered softly, "Have you told Kairi?"

Sora shook his head. "I will."

"Good... And Sora?"

"Mhm?"

Kerrak smiled a bit– "Tell Kaz- I'll miss him, too."

Sora laughed. Kaz had gotten out the words 'we have to go' before bursting into tears.

"I will."

Sora _did_ tell Kairi, though it ended up being over the phone. She and her friends had gone to the mall immediately after going to the museum, so he couldn't do it in person.

"Um– an emergency back home, I guess," he lied, remembering the headmaster's words.

"Oh. Um.. Kay... Bye... I guess..."

"Bye."

Disconnect.

Now there was only one goodbye left to handle– Yuna had spoken to Cloud for him, and Sora had personally talked to Tidus and Wakka, who he was surprised to find had grown on him quite a bit. (He was also tickled to notice that Yuna and Tidus had quite an awkward goodbye between them, ending in a _really_ sloppy kiss on Yuna's cheek.) Sora had even said a few words to Selphie, over the phone.

His bags were already in the car and everyone else was ready to go. But he had to find Ryo.

He eventually found him, outside, sitting on a bench in the school yard– one under a willow tree with the branches hanging down over their heads. He was crying, Sora noted, as he sat down beside him.

"Ryo?"

His twin didn't respond, but Sora breathed in deep and went ahead with it anyways.

"We're leaving– Kaz, Riku, Yuna and I."

Ryo looked up, startled, and his eyes flashed with something that Sora couldn't even describe, except to say that it made his stomach twist painfully with guilt.

"What– Why? It's not 'cause of that stupid fight, is it? Oh, I'm sorry– I always ruin _everything_."

At those last words, tears came faster down Ryo's cheeks and his breath hitched and he latched onto Sora's shirt, mumbling something Sora couldn't understand.

"No... No. It's not because of you, Ryo."

"_Please _**do****n't go**."

Sora shook his head and lightly pried Ryo's hands from his shirt, whispering softly to his brother– _"I'm sorry"_– and he meant it, but he didn't stay to make sure Ryo was okay, because even just ten more seconds of watching him cry would make Sora near-explode with regret.

It wasn't how he'd planned that final meeting to go, he reflected later, getting out of a taxi in the middle of nowhere a few hours later.

"Yuna?" Sora asked as they dropped their stuff in the grass and Riku paid the driver. "Where the hell are we? You were supposed to be getting us _home_."

"I am!" Yuna said. "_There_, look."

She grabbed her things and walked forward-- and disappeared when she hit a wall of vaguely shimmering air.

Sora's jaw dropped. "Uhh... I guess that's our passage home," he muttered, and Riku walked forward, nodding.

He frowned and walked back again. Then repeated the process.

But no matter how many times he tried, they stayed right where they were.


	22. Chapter 22

fastest update in three years. heck yes.

Chapter 22

"_First_, they block us off from our powers. Now they're blocking us from going _home_?! What the hell is this!"

Riku threw himself angrily down on the ground. An uneasy silence enveloped the boys, the wind blowing gently by but making no noise.

Kaz cleared his throat. "I think I can get us home."

"Huh?" Sora looked over. "How?"

"Well.. Kay showed me this book..." Kaz was staring intently at the ground, shuffling his feet. "I don't think we're supposed to know about it. And I'm not sure if I can remember exactly how the spell goes, but..."

Sora pursed his lips. "That sounds.. dangerous."

"Who fucking cares! Do it! I want to get out of here and find out what the hell is going on... Can we though? Are our powers back?"

Sora cast the simplest spell he knew. "Yep."

They stood in silence, Riku and Sora watching their blond friend intently-- who seemed to be doing nothing. Then, finally, a glow appeared a few feet away, expanding until it became a full-sized portal.

Sora blanched at the image he saw. "I think you got the wrong travel destination... and I think we shuold run."

"No!" Kaz exclaimed, pointing as the things Sora saw shimmered. "Look. I got it right."

"Great!" Riku muttered, and hardly paying attention, he jumped through.

Sora and Kaz had no choice but to follow, stepping into the swirling light, and instantly being eclipsed in darkness.

--

Sora woke up in what appeared to be his own room. He sat up and looked around groggily. Heaving himself to his feet, Sora stumbled across the floor on shaky legs and pulled at the doorknob. He grunted when the door wouldn't open and tugged harder. Then he realized that it was locked.

Panicked, Sora began to scratch at the door.

"Let me out! Open the door!"

He couldn't quite explain the intense fear coming over him, but a feeling in his gut told him that it was completely rational. He banged his fists on the wood, screaming to be let out. Sora _knew_ that he could be heard perfectly fine by the other people in the house. He also knew that there was no sense in trying magic.

It wasn't hard for him to figure out that it had been his father who was controlling what he could and could not do.

Sora pictured his father in the study, with that sparkling white gem out of it's case and knew that he was _never_ going to get out. With a final, weak slamming of his palm against the door, and a sobbed, "_please! _**let me out**!" he sunk to the floor.

Leaning against the wall, Sora wiped tears from his cheeks hastily, but he couldn't get rid of them as fast as they were coming. Every time he rubbed some away, his eyes sent another flood of them to slide down his face, only to be wiped away and replaced by more.

Sora disliked crying. It made him feel weak, made him feel _incompetent_– and he didn't like to think that he was any less strong than he wanted to be. He remembered Ryo crying– begging Sora not to leave and wondered– _did that make _**him** _feel like he was worthless_? They were twins, after all. Didn't that mean they should think the same? Sora pushed the image of his sobbing brother from his mind and rested his head back against the door, staring up at the ceiling.

He smeared a few last tears onto his sleeve before his breathing calmed and the room became silent.

Then he heard the screaming.

Tilting his head to the side, Sora got up and moved to his window. He rested his hands on the sill and breathed in shallowly as he watched the carnage outside. Houses were engulfed in flames, and fights between angels, demons– and many other creatures– took place in the streets. He began to cry again as he saw two boys that looked no older than 6 climbing a steep hill in attempt to escape a horned beast chasing after him. When they turned to see how close behind them the monster was, Sora became angry– they were identical, and somehow, they were him and they were Ryo– and Sora wasn't just going to sit and watch.

He couldn't honestly say he was surprised when the horned demon chasing them was knocked out by a falling block of ice, though he certainly hadn't intended for it to happen.

Sora turned around and strode back to the door, focusing his anger on the brass knob. He hated the doorknob. Despised the doorknob– and he grinned when it became covered in a thin sheet of ice. Nearly laughing, he lifted his foot and kicked the door in.

The house was quiet as he sneaked around, headed for the front door. He got there without any incidents and rushed outside, only to come face to face with his first obstacle.

His father.

Sora swallowed and stumbled backwards as his father's face contorted with rage, lips snarled like twisted lies. He turned his head to the side and looked to Kaz's front door– two houses down. Biting his lip and glancing at his father, he began to run. Arms much stronger than his own shot out to grab him but he dodged from their reach, jumping over fallen bodies and fallen wood, originally house supports and roofs.

He was shocked when he had to duck to avoid his neighbour Shailiha. She was– oh, maybe 34. Bright green eyes and long black hair, and he _couldn't_ understand why she might attack him. Shaking the incident off, he pushed in the door to Kaz's house.

Inside, he was unsurprised to find Kaz's parents there, arguing. They started when they saw him and Kaz's mother let out an angry shriek– "You! What are you doing here!"

"Freeing Kaz," Sora answered, opting for honesty– he wasn't too stupid to realize that his friend was probably in the exact predicament he'd been in a moment before.

Screeching, she lunged at him and before he knew what he was doing, he'd reached up and yanked the necklace from her throat. The golden chain snapped easily and he rushed away, through another door and down corridors towards Kaz's room with her screaming behind him– "Catch that little asshole! He's got my necklace!"

He dimly registered that Kaz's family had at least 20 servants working for him– and he dimly registered that this was not what the people he had met in the last few months thought of the angel hierarchy. When the shouting eventually faded with distance among the many hallways of the four storey mansion, more voices caught his attention. He continued on quietly, listening to the argument.

"They said not to let him out!"

"Naminé! They'll hear you if you aren't quiet!" Sora recognized Roxas' voice.

"If you two don't stop, I'm telling Mom and Dad!"

The next threat he heard came out slow and confident, and it _obviously_ wasn't Naminé or Roxas.

"And if _you_ don't shut up, **I'm** going to lock you in there."

Naminé began to protest, but her words were muffled and Sora heard a tiny shriek. Moving around the corner, he saw Kaz's older brother Kay shoving her into her room and with a wave of the blonde's hand, Sora heard the click of a lock tumbler. Roxas was _trying_ to pick the lock to Kaz's door, but it had obviously been reinforced magically.

Sora approached the two quietly and they didn't realize he was there until he was standing directly beside them. Roxas ignored him and Kay offered one of his surely-more-than-1000-watt smiles. Instead of grinning back like he usually did, Sora only allowed his lips to turn up shakily before averting his eyes to where Roxas' hands were fumbling with the lock.

Kay's good looks were beginning to unnerve Sora, though he wasn't interested in other boys that way. He was worried that the older teen probably had a few coercing powers of his own– he remembered the way Kay needed only to wave his hands to lock Naminé's door– and that had seemed to be simple flourish. The move was probably completely mental, but Kay moved his hands out of habit. With that and several other feats Sora had observed growing up, it wasn't hard for him to realize that the17 year-old blonde standing next to him was probably very adept at black magic.

At that moment, Roxas looked over at him briefly, and Sora smiled, causing the blue-eyed boy to raise his eyebrows. Sora saw Kay do the same thing, too, because even though Sora was never _really_**flat-out** nasty to Roxas, everyone was perfectly aware of what Sora thought of him.

Roxas returned his attention to the lock, but Kay kept his eyes on Sora, making him nervous. Above Naminé's screeching, Sora could hear the pounding of his heart against his rib cage, as well as Kaz's soft whimpering on the other side of the door.

Roxas finally grinned as he undid the last tumbler and the door swung open, Kaz stumbling out to fall into his brother's arms, sobbing. Sora felt a familiar pang of jealousy but brushed it off. Kaz turned to look at him and Sora held out his hand. Carefully his friend extended his arm and Sora dropped the necklace into the boy's palm.

Kaz looked confused for a moment and Sora saw Kay's eyes darken, as well as Roxas'. Then he realized that they thought he'd hurt their mother. He opened his mouth to explain but he didn't really need to because her voice wafted up to them.

"Someone catch him! He has my necklace!"

Kaz smiled and after whispering something into his twin's ear, grabbed Sora's hand. Being dragged down the hall, Sora knew that there must be a safe, or secret, exit somewhere– and they were headed for it.


	23. Chapter 23

uhh this chapter's short for a reason. originally it was longer but i decided to cut it off before revealing who the fourth person was. if you pay close enough attention i'm sure you can figure it out. and i think that if i get the choice i'll completely remake this story. it's so bad lol. ) :

Chapter 23

The first thing they heard apart from hysterical screaming and maniacal laughter upon leaving the house was a tremendous crashing from Riku's. The entryway to Riku's house had a glass dome ceiling and looking through it, Sora could see that the giant chandelier was no longer that.

They rushed down the street and met Riku as he fled from his house.

"What now?" Kaz asked, out of breath.

Riku pointed to the edge of the square they stood at, the end of the city where the ground dropped suddenly into a deep valley. There was a steep hill going downwards there, and directly opposite from it was a high tower with steps leading up on only one side. Between the tower and the grassy area on each side were seven chairs set out to make two halves of a circle... at the center of which was a swirling hole where demons were pouring into the city from. "Let's go there."

Kaz pouted. "Looks dangerous. Why there?"

"It's the source. They're coming from there, we can probably _go_ from there."

Sora looked behind him and saw that his father, and Riku's were chasing after them. A bit behind them were Kaz's mother and Shailiha.

He grabbed Kaz's hand and dragged him to the edge of the hill, looking down on the carnage. This place was called the Gateway of Hearts. Sora had never understood why before but he got it now. It was an _actual_ gateway, though the giant fissure in the ground that he was looking at had never been there before. He glanced across the tiny valley which he remembered as being so peaceful when he was young to the tower, and to the pedestal at the top which suddenly held more importance than something he could lean against after a race up the tower stairs.

"We need to find him," Riku said, sudden and grim.

"Him?" Kaz echoed.

"The fourth."

"How are we going to do that?" Sora scoffed, looking over his shoulder. The four adults behind them had been slowed down by a horde of demons, but Sora noted unhappily that they weren't fighting the monsters.

They were talking to them. Giving orders.

"Well," Riku asnwered. "We know he likes lightning, he's got a gem, probably yellow, or his parents do. He's about our age." Riku paused before adding, "and he doesn't like to touch Kaz, though I don't know who does."

"Riku!" Kaz screeched. "This is no times for jokes!"

Riku shrugged. "He doesn't like water either."

Sora tried to drown out their bickering. He thought about what Riku had said. Thought about what had happened over the past little while.

_oh_,_ wow_,_ they were stupid_.


	24. Chapter 24

WOW I thought this whole story was updated years ago, apparently not, good thing I was super lame back when this was written, wrote everything by hand, and I still have the original. I edited at first but by the end of the chapter mostly put it down word for word.

**Chapter 24**

A shade of yellow like electric heat, cradled gently against the crook of tanned neck.

An aura only so few could pick up on.

The connection, the obsession with magic.

Sora turned, taking in the distorted features of the angry woman with his father. Shailiha's bright green eyes and dark hair were perfect against her olive skin... Sora remembered those same features. On another person.

"Kerrak," he said dully. He spun again to face Riku and Kaz, who argued loudly despite their nearing assailants and the gaping, red-purple hole before them. Angels of the Guard, soldiers assigned to protect the city, surrounded it, and Sora stumbled over to one, Riku and Kaz following behind. Knocking the man's elbow to get his attention, Sora shouted, "Where does this lead?"

He barely heard the answer above the din.

"Straight to Hell, kid, where else?"

"But does it stop in the other dimension? At Earth?"

"I imagine it might do just that, but that's certainly not where these demons want to get to."

Sora nodded his thanks, and, without hesitation, jumped in.

--

He landed with a crash. Sora had been here before. This was the clearing he'd stopped at in the car. Kaz and Riku were nowhere to be seen– perhaps they hadn't followed.

Perhaps they'd gotten off somewhere else.

Sora shivered at the thought, taking in the morning sky and realizing that at least a day had passed since he'd left. He didn't know how far it was to get to the school, or even what direction it was in. Sora closed his eyes, trying to remember, but nothing came to him. He paused, thinking of the connection he felt with his brother, biting his lip and wondering dimly about the possibilities there.

Gently at first, he sought that connection, hoping it could lead him– there it was. A gentle tug in a northern direction. Sora took to the sky, hoping his cast of invisibility wasn't faulty.

His landing when he finally reached the school was rocky, and he stumbled to his face, moderating the spell to cover his wings only. He rushed towards the school and sucked in a deep breath when he heard the familiar bell. Still heading for the building, Sora squinted as the doors burst open and a figure hurried through them. Sora recognized Ryo immediately, the connection sharpening as he came into view. He wondered if his brother felt it, too, and realized quickly that it wasn't so. Ryo wasn't rushing to him. He was moving away from someone else.

Kerrak was there behind him, and as Sora watched he grabbed Ryo's wrist, spinning him around to face him.

Sora was close enough to hear the conversation now, but neither noticed him. He cursed himself, realizing he would be dragging Kerrak away when he was trying to apologize.

Kerrak saw him then, over Ryo's shoulder, and his lip curled in confusion. Sora grabbed his arm, pulling him along around the corner of the school while Ryo stood on the steps, demanding angrily to know what the hell was going on.

Sora heard one more shout, but the sentence was cut off. Sora winced as he heard a screech of frustration and the slamming of the school doors. He spun to face Kerrak, who heaved with anger.

"What the hell are you–"

"Close your eyes."

"Not likely."

Sora clapped his hands over Kerrak's eyes, muttering a few words and hoping vaguely that he hadn't messed this spell up.

--

He'd at least been able to transport them _close_ to the clearing, Sora thought, as he pulled a yelling and disoriented Kerrak through the woods behind him. When they finally broke through the bushes, Sora looked to the sky. He saw a shifting in the clouds and closed his eyes, tightening his grip on the boy next to him.


	25. Chapter 25

This story really sucks. I am definitely going to go right the hell ahead and make super hardcore revisions and change a lot of it because it is just THAT BAD!! This chapter is mostly original writing that only follows the plot skeleton of the chapter which originally was in this place.

**Chapter 25**

Mistaken for demons upon their bumpy arrival, Sora and Kerrak tumbled leftwards out of the swirling red inferno, an axe whistling above their heads. Looking about wildly, they struggled to their feet, Sora pulling Kerrak, who was confused and dazed.

Kaz and Riku were seen easily from where Sora was, climbing to the top of the tower not far from the Gate they had just come through. Sora wanted badly to go to his friends, but he realized when he saw Riku's father headed in his direction that they hadn't been spotted– but Sora and Kerrak had. He pivoted, grasping Kerrak's hand and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Stumbling up the hill that led to town central, slipping and using rocks for holds, Sora hoisted Kerrak to his feet as the boy fell, sending a mass of tiny pebbles tumbling below them. They paused at the top, Kerrak sucking air into his lungs desperately, trying to sputter out a demand for explanation. Sora scanned the area, ignoring his, looking for somewhere, _anywhere_ to hide.

His eyes stopped when they reached his house. He remembered the gem, sitting on his father's desk. Still clinging to Kerrak's arm, Sora began to make his way home._ Home_, he thought bitterly, _a place of comfort_.

He was surprised when the two of them had no problem getting inside, wondering where his father and the two women– Shailiha, and Kaz's mother– were.

He quickly learned.

Sora paused in the entryway when he heard strong voices from the next room.

"We have to find them," an angry woman screeched.

"I'm sure Victor will do fine." That was Sora's father, and he spoke of Riku's dad Victor. Who, Sora realized, cringing, probably wasn't too far behind.

"But Gabriel, Kaz and Riku both have their gems!" Sora recognized the woman this time– Kaz's mother Marissa.

"_Kaz and Riku _have their gems. Not everyone has been irresponsible, Marissa. My son is still empty-handed. And besides, they need four, not three."

Sora twitched when he heard himself referred to as 'my son'. Did his father consider him his son? Or a curse placed upon him?

He motioned for Kerrak to follow him, having heard enough.

They crept silently through the halls until they reached the study. Sora sighed in relief when he saw the white jewel still there, but was dismayed to find it was in its case. He chewed his lip and turned to Kerrak, who was wide-eyed and breathing shallowly, not quite able to take everything in at once.

"I need you to get that for me," he said softly, pointing. Kerrak's eyes darted from the case to Sora. "I can't touch it," he explained. "Just knock the cover off. Don't grab it. You might hurt yourself."

Kerrak nodded slowly and moved to the desk. Sora could see fear resonating in his eyes. Quickly his hand shot out and batted the top off. He snatched it away as flames burst from the mechanical base and the glass case shattered on the floor.

Shouting began downstairs as the fire died away, and Sora knew they'd been heard. He reached forward and grabbed the smooth stone, gasping at how cool it felt against his skin. Sora snapped back to attention when footsteps pounded up the hallway just outside the door. Grabbing Kerrak's hand again, Sora rushed to the windows, throwing up the sash, grateful the study was on the first floor– he wondered how Kerrak had never known he'd had wings.

How the hell had they put a spell on him strong enough to block out his natural instinct to fly? How... but Sora was getting distracted. He pulled the black-haired boy out the window and was frantically escaping as three heaving figures burst through the door.

Sora heard his father cursing loudly as they made a beeline for the hill. They stumbled quickly downward, trying to keep their balance this time; now, Kerrak was more focused, though he still hadn't a clue what was going on. Clearly, though, he knew their survival depended upon the quickness of his feet.

Sora gulped deeply as they ran. If any of their pursuers took to the air, they would be caught. He looked briefly over his shoulder, relieved at what he saw, but feeling guilty and worried at the same time– his father hunched over in pain, Marissa fending off a wayward demon attacker. And Shailiha, frozen in her tracks, staring open-mouthed at Kerrak (who noticed nothing except the ground beneath his feet).

They ran furiously around the gaping hole to the steps of the tower, climbing with as much speed as they could manage. Sora thought erratically, _Where's Riku's father_? but brushed the thought aside. He wasn't following them. That was all that mattered.

"What... is going... on..." Kerrak huffed as they reached the top, collapsing and breathing raggedly. "And where.. The hell am I?!"

Sora all but crawled to where Riku and Kaz stood at the center of the floor, staring vapidly at the pedestal before them.

"Perfect fit," Riku muttered as he stood next to them, and he saw that he referred to their stones– positioned in the deep slots of the stand. Sora looked from the two still-empty spaces to his own stone. He didn't want to put it in– it was his! His at last. Shuddering, he hesitantly reached out to place it in the hole, just as Kerrak pulled himself to his feet next to them.

"Put the stone of your necklace in the last hole," Kaz instructed him, gesturing vaguely.

"What? No, it's mine!"

Sora heard shouting at the bottom of the steps and knew that their parents had overcome their difficulties.

"Please," he pleaded.

"Only if you tell me what's going on!"

"Later!"

Sensing the urgency– and apparently still hating them for it– Kerrak shoved the yellow gem into the hole.

Nothing happened, and Riku cursed loudly. Sora felt his face go pale and watched as Kaz's lips trembled. Then the tower shook, and Sora stumbled, smacking his face against the cool marble floor. He peered over the edge, down to the valley below where the fires of Hell reached avidly up from. He watched the ground itself shudder as two great slabs of stone slid loudly out from under the fissured dirt. He recognized the design– the last time Sora was here, they had together made up an ornate square sitting at the base of the tower.

He cringed as he thought of all the times he had walked there, thinking it was only a decoration.

Demons rushed into the hole, a constant swarm like flowing water, ducking desperately in before their route was closed. Angels took to the air like scattering birds– only much, much more beautiful and awe-inspiring.

And then, finally, the stone slid to a complete halt and the swirling portal was closed off. A heavy, oppressive silence fell over the area.

Sora closed his eyes, resting his head on his arms.

"What the hell? What in bloody hell is this? Seriously, guys!" Kerrak's voice bordered on desperation and hysteria, but Sora hadn't the strength even to answer.

"Is it over?" Riku asked, and even Kerrak fell silent briefly as he listened to the conversation that was starting.

Sora paused before licking his lips and forcing his voice to work. "It– What the hell was that?"

He had no energy, so Sora didn't sit up, but he tilted his head to the side, willing his ears to give attention to the shrill, depressing sound. "It sounds... unnatural."

"On the contrary," Kaz told him softly. "It's the most natural sound in the world– an ending crashing right into a beginning."

Sora lifted his head slowly, peering downwards. His chest tightened as he watched the scene below, above... all around him, the angels were crying. Bleeding and screaming, like a child being dragged from the womb.

Behind him, Kaz sighed, and he whispered, words caught on the wind, "No. It's not over. It won't ever be over."


End file.
